Kimberly's Odyssey
by Knightwood
Summary: Spin off from "Baby Blues". Two years after her daughter was taken from her, Kimberly at last hears news that will lead to a long and emotional journey to find her little girl.
1. Kimberly's Odyssey

This story is based on a comment made by Ginastar to one of my earlier fics, Baby Blues. I would prefer you to read that, and baby proofing first for background information, but just in case I'll give you a short description of what happened to set up this story.

While she was six months pregnant with her first child, Kimberly and her husband, David were involved in a car accident. When he woke up, David was informed that Kimberly and the baby had died, however this was just an elaborate cover to the fact that she had in fact been abducted by a gang of criminals and held against her will until the baby was born, at which time it was sold on the black market.

She remained in captivity for a year and a half, during which time she was impregnated a second time through artificial insemination, but a new arrival, Kira Oliver brought hope and eventual rescue in the form of her husband, Tommy Oliver.

Following her release, she gave birth to her second child, a son she named Joe. However, the authorities were still unable to find her daughter. Is she doomed to never know what happened to her little girl? Or will her quest to find the child ripped so cruelly from her life be successful?

**Rating: **T due to adult themes, language and violence in places.

**Legal Notice:** I do not own Power Rangers or any of the associated names, characters, places, events etc. Any names, characters and events not covered by the above rights are to be considered purely the creation of the author.

**Kimberly's Odyssey**

Kimberly thrashed around in her bed deep within the SPD base. The horror of that day came back to her in vivid detail as it had so many times.

"About bloody time!" Doctor black snarled at his accomplices as they wheeled the gurney, carrying the protesting Kimberly into the delivery room. "I'd rather she didn't have the child in the middle of the corridor."

"Sorry, but I had to sedate her." Dr. White shot back. "She's a goddam hellcat!"

Kimberly knew it was pointless to try and resist. She was securely shackled to the gurney, preventing any chance of her escaping, even if she was in a fit state to run. The contractions were excruciatingly painful, and they were becoming more frequent. She knew it wouldn't be long before her baby was born. Tears of anguish and sadness streamed down her face as she realised that what they'd told her so long ago was true. They were going to take her baby and there was nothing she could do to stop them.

"Get her legs up on the stirrups." Dr. Black ordered. His accomplice complied with the order, strapping her legs into them to prevent her attempting to leave the bed.

"God, please don't do this!" She screamed as they continued to manhandle her in a clinical and degrading manner.

"She's fully dilated." Dr. Black announced, completely ignoring her request. "It won't be long before we see the head."

"Please I beg you!" She screamed as the pain continued to wrack her body. "Please, don't take my baby!"

"It's beginning to crown." He continued. "Start pushing Mrs. Goodman. It won't be long now!"

She no longer had the wherewithal to protest. All she could do was instinctively push as the baby entered the final stages of delivery.

"One more should do it." Dr. Black told her. A short time later, the pain began to ease and she collapsed back onto the table, thoroughly exhausted.

"Gentlemen, we have a perfectly healthy baby girl." Dr. Black remarked. "Our contact down south will be pleased."

Kimberly looked over, reaching her hand out for the screaming newborn. As she watched the evil Dr. Black leave the room, she caught a glance at the baby's bright blue eyes, just like her husbands, and wept as she realised that this was the last time she'd ever see her daughter.

She snapped back into consciousness, sitting up in the bed bolt upright and sweating heavily. She rushed out of the room, into the en suite and vomited into the sink. Her breathing became rapid and her chest felt tight as she began to hyperventilate. David came to her side and handed her a brown paper bag. Holding it over her nose and mouth, her breathing at last began returning to a normal rate.

"You saw it again, didn't you?" David asked her sympathetically. She nodded wordlessly as she continued to regain her breath. The attacks were now less frequent, there was a time she had been having the panic attacks virtually on a nightly basis. The medication had helped, but she continued to refuse to see a counsellor. "Honey, you need to calm down. We're doing everything we can to find her."

"God dammit David it's been two years already." She wailed as her tears ran freely down her face. She looked over into the corner of the kid's room where a stack of parcels, four birthdays and five Christmases worth, lay under a thin layer of dust. Kim had refused to give up on finding their daughter and vowed to give her those parcels, giving her back the birthdays and Christmases she'd had stolen from them. David had made the mistake of moving them once, but all this earned him was a barrage of screaming followed by two painful weeks where Kimberly never spoke to him once. It was pointless to try and bring up the painful possibility that they might never find her.

"You know there's a better than average chance of finding her." He reminded her. Since the Carsons had their little boy Bridge, it had been discovered that the radiation all the lab staff had been exposed to had left them with an altered genetic code, meaning that their children were born with genetic abilities. Bridge could read auras and Harry's son Sky could generate force fields. Contact had been lost with the Landors and the Delgados following a huge earthquake, and it was pointless to even test the Drews daughter for abilities because it was widely known that she was adopted. Unfortunately the Drews had been exposed to a much higher radiation count than the others and had both been left infertile. It had been devastating news when they found out; they were desperate to start a family.

"But no one-s reported a child with special abilities." Kimberly reminded him. "Besides, only you were involved in the lab testing. I was only ever a teacher. I wasn't exposed, there's a chance she won't display abilities."

David had hoped she hadn't figured that fact out. It was one of the things that kept her going, the knowledge that when a child showed unnatural genetic abilities that they could test them for a DNA match.

"We can't give up hope." He told her, holding her close. "Hope is all we have."

He led her back through to the bedroom and held her in his arms as she cried herself back to sleep.

The following morning, David made his way to the mess hall for a couple of triple espressos. It had taken him quite a while to get back to sleep, and he knew he'd need the caffeine if he was going to be at all productive in the sick bay today. Harry came in a short time later, his son Sky running over to his favourite corner and taking his place at the table.

"Morning David." He responded with a smile. "Looks like you had a good nights sleep."

"Kimberly had another attack." He told his long time friend.

"David, I'm sorry I didn't know." He apologised. He felt like a class one heel the way he'd just stuck his foot in his mouth. "Bit of a Tate family tradition. Poor little Sky there doesn't have a chance."

"It's ok." He remarked saving Harry's embarrassment. "You weren't to know. Anyway, how's the Mirloc case coming?"

"We're hot on his tail." He told David with a big grin. "We're certain we'll catch up with him soon. I've nailed some pretty big fish in my time, but this one's the biggest yet. IF I bring in Mirloc, I'm sure to be promoted!"

At that, a siren sounded, attracting their attention.

"Tate, Mirloc's been sited in the industrial district." Cruger's voice announced over his communicator. "Take Myers and go."

"On my way Doggie." He shouted back. "Sorry David, they're playing my song and you know how I love to dance."

"Does this mean we're not going to the cinema?" Sky groaned, a little petted lip a testament to his disappointment.

"I'll be back soon, and then we'll go." He replied, ruffling his son's hair playfully. "I promise."

"Dad, you know I hate it when you do that!" Sky whined as Harry ran from the room.

Later in the day, David was taking an inventory of the medical supplies when an alarm sounded in the base.

"We have an officer down, all medical personnel report to the surgery now!" Cruger announced over the PA system. David ran into the theatre room, scrubbing up quickly as Eric arrived in his Quantum Ranger outfit, along with the crash team.

"Hang on Harry! We got the scumbag, please just hang on!" Eric shouted to his injured friend. David could tell by the damage that the prognosis wasn't good. "We brought him in together Harry, don't you dare die on me!"

"Eric, we need room to work, could you please wait outside." David commanded. Eric couldn't move or speak. "Damn it Eric the best thing you can do is wait in the damn corridor!" He said a little more forcefully. Eric left the room slowly, still unable to mask his concern for Harry's condition.

"How does his blood pressure look?" He asked, removing Harry's helmet. A little blood was trickling from the corner of his mouth and he fought for breath.

"BP's dropping like a stone. He's bleeding out somewhere." One of the nurses answered him.

"He's having difficulty breathing." David said, tapping his chest gently. "We have to cut him, the pressure in his chest is building."

"I've got the surgical tray." One of the surgeons announced, rushing to David's side.

"He's crashing!" One of the nurses yelled as the monitor's alarm sounded ominously.

"Dr. Wheeler, sort out his chest pressure. Nurse, begin CPR!" He barked as he switched on the defibrillator.

"Give me a second." The surgeon stated. The nurse stopped the chest massage briefly, allowing him to insert the tube to drain the blood from his chest cavity. "We're good to go."

"Clear!" David shouted, preparing the paddles. Everyone stepped back as he pressed the paddles to Harry's chest, causing him to jump involuntarily. "Charging to 200."

The nurse continued with the chest massage as David watched for the light on the machine to change. "Everyone clear!"

Again, Harry jumped. The nurse returned quickly to the CPR. David watched for the light one last time. "Clear!" Harry jumped, but to David's horror, the line remained straight on the heart monitor. "Thanks. You did everything you could." David told his staff. He looked at the clock on the wall. "Time of death. 16:38." He sighed. Thinking about how his friend had been talking with him only a few hours ago, Davis suddenly became overcome with emotion and kicked over the defibrillator with a savage roar.

"Do you want me to inform the family?" One of the nurses asked, noting his distress. Everyone knew how close the two of them were. Harry was the kind of man it was impossible to hate. He always had a kind word or a joke to tell. There wasn't one person on the base who had a bad word to say about him.

"No, it's fine." David replied. "I'll tell them." Picking up Harry's helmet, he made his way out into the hall, where Eric, Harry's wife Diana and Sky were waiting. David looked down at the helmet forlornly as he approached. "I'm sorry." He began. "We did everything we could." He knelt down to Sky's level, handing him the helmet. "I'm so sorry."

"Son of a BITCH!" Eric screamed, slamming his fist into the wall.

"Officer Myers that's enough!" Doggie reprimanded him as he arrived, nodding in Sky's direction to remind him of the boy's presence. "Such displays do no one any good."

"I want to interview Mirloc." Eric snarled.

"That is not a good idea Myers." Doggie put down flatly. "You are in no state to deal with that prisoner."

"No one else is qualified to interview such a high security risk prisoner." Eric reminded him. "Harry was the only other one with security clearance for that."

"Very well." Doggie replied, conceding the point. "However, I would like Dr. Goodman to accompany you in the interview room."

"Sir, I'm not sure." David protested. "I've never done …"

"You're the only one on the base with psychology qualifications." Doggie interrupted him. "Harry was the only other one."

"But sir…"

"That's an order." He stated imperiously. "Myers, you do not go into that interview room without Dr. Goodman. That's final." He turned to leave, but stopped and turned back as he thought of something. "Oh, and if Mirloc leaves with any unexplained injuries, I'm taking you off active service for a month. Am I making myself clear?"

"Perfectly." He hissed back.

"Given the emotional state your in I'll let that slide." Cruger warned him with a growl. "But I swear, talk to me like that again and by the time I've taken you off punishment detail you'll wish I'd fired you. Dismissed."

"Yes sir." Eric replied, saluting before turning on his heel and leaving.

The two men arrived in the interview room, where they found Mirloc with his hands shackled behind his back. Kat had constructed special restraints that weakened him to the level of a human. Both men had already been warned that he could escape through reflective surfaces, and so were wearing matt effect sunglasses and had covered or removed any shiny articles of clothing on their person.

"Ah, officer Myers." Mirloc greeted Eric as he entered the room. "I was half expecting to see Officer Tate with you."

"You have the right to remain silent." Eric began. "But it may harm your defence…"

"You already read me my rights." Mirloc reminded him.

"This is on a new charge." Eric hissed. "If you do not mention anything when questioned which you later rely on in court…"

"What new charge?" He asked.

"First degree murder!" He informed him. "Officer Tate died half an hour ago. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."

"Your friend is dead?" Mirloc asked. "Oh I'm sorry to hear that."

"You aren't fit to speak about Harry." Eric roared, getting up from his chair and pacing intently to work off some aggression. "Who are your accomplices?"

"If I'm going down for murder one, then I'm already going to serve a life sentence." Mirloc taunted him. "What possible good could it do me to tell you anything? Surely you of all people should know you have to bargain from a position of strength."

"I am." Eric yelled, pounding the table. "The only way you're leaving prison is in a plastic bag."

"Exactly." Mirloc said. "So you have nothing to offer me."

Eric let out a huge yell, before spin-kicking Mirloc out of his chair to the floor. "I can offer you the choice. Die years from now, peacefully in your sleep in some cell." He pulled out a laser blaster, kneeling over the criminal. "Or die in here and now in a lot of pain!"

"Eric, stop!" David screamed.

"My my, abusing prisoners." Mirloc commented. "I have rights you know."

"Not on this planet." Eric hissed aggressively, pistol whipping him several times. "Amnesty international doesn't know we exist yet, remember?"

"Eric, for God's sake stop!" David yelled, pulling the larger man off the prisoner. Mirloc already bore the cuts and bruises from the savage beating, and his face was already beginning to swell up. "I know how you feel. I wanted nothing more than a few minutes alone with the scumbags who stole my daughter, but this won't bring him back!"

"Someone stole your daughter?" Mirloc asked. "By any chance was this in Las Vegas?"

"What about it scum!" Eric snapped.

"I knew an associate who was involved in the distribution of the children." He answered. "He said that his contact's name was Dr. Black."

All colour drained from David's face as he said this name.

"I'll tell you in exchange for one thing." He continued. "I collect memories. Sad memories. Tell me your saddest memory and I'll tell you what I know."

"That is it!" Eric screamed, levelling the pistol at Mirloc's head. David batted the laser aside just in time to stop him, the shot connecting with the wall.

"Eric, this is the first potential lead I've had in over a year!" He shouted, looking intently into his eyes. "If there's even a chance, I will not let you blow it for me."

"The man's gone insane!" Mirloc screeched. "He's going to kill me!"

"Everything you know or I swear I'll do it." Eric hissed.

"The memory first." He protested weakly.

"That does it." He snarled, kneeling on Mirloc's chest and hammering into his face a few more times. He then pressed the barrel to the bridge of his nose. "You have three seconds."

"No Please!" Mirloc Screeched.

"Two!"

"Eric, for the love of God don't!" David yelled, wrapping an arm around his neck, trying to haul him off the prisoner, but Eric was too strong for him.

"One!"

"All right!" He screeched. "His name is Albert Knox. When I knew him he worked in the records office in New Orleans." He felt himself trembling as he stared at the laser intently, the fear in his eyes obvious. "I've told you everything. Please don't kill me!"

Eric got off his chest and handed the laser to David. "You just saved your own skin." Eric told the terrified prisoner. "If you're lying, I'll come back to finish the job."

Doggie burst in the door. "Myers, my office NOW!" He snarled. As two other guards helped Mirloc to his cell, David and Eric went to Commander Cruger's office.

"I was watching the footage of that interview the hole time." He yelled. "Myers, I have NEVER in all my years seen such a disgusting display. I should have your badge."

"You're going to fire me?" He asked with a sarcastic sneer.

"I wouldn't be so flippant if I were you." Cruger growled. "Turn in your morpher."

"Best months vacation I ever earned." He replied as he handed Cruger the morpher.

"Three!" Cruger snarled. "Mirloc doesn't want to press charges. That's the only reason I'm not kicking you out of here personally. Get out of my sight. I've never been more ashamed of an officer in all my life!"

Eric felt a little lump rising in his throat as he saluted and left the room. He had blown it big time and he knew it.

"We cannot trust Mirloc's testimony." Cruger told David. "But I promise, we will follow it up."

"Thank you." He answered, saluting as he left.

David arrived back in his living quarters, finding Kimberly playing with Joe. He was now three years old and getting quite big. He was happily playing with a few assorted toy cars when David came into the room.

"David, you're as white as a sheet!" Kimberly gasped with a little worry in her voice. "What happened?"

"The officer that came in today, it was Harry." He informed her. "He never made it."

"Oh my God, David I'm so sorry." She said, hugging her husband.

"There's something else." He continued. "Cruger made me sit in on the interview with the creature that killed him." He looked into her eyes, considering for a moment what the news would do to her. "He said he knew someone involved with the baby sales."

"He gave you a lead?" She asked.

"Albert Knox." He confirmed. "He works in the Records Office in New Orleans apparently. That's probably how he got the false birth certificates and adoption papers down there. Cruger promised to check it out."

"If police start sniffing around he'll just cut and run!" She screeched, grabbing a bag and starting to stuff clothes into it.

"What are you doing?" David asked.

"If the scumbag's in Louisiana, then I'm going to Louisiana." She responded sharply.

"Kim, that's insane!" He begged her, trying to reason with her. "We don't even know…"

"If there's a chance that's good enough for me." She snapped, pulling out her cell phone and hitting speed dial. "Tommy, It's Kim. I've got a lead on my daughter."

"That's great news." He told her. "What can I do to help?"

"Can you meet me in Louisiana?" She asked. "There's a guy at the records office there who's involved."

"I'm really sorry Kim, but thing are crazy here at the moment." He told her. "But I do know a couple of people who'll be in Louisiana at the moment. I'll give them a call and tell them to meet you at the bus station."

"How will I know them?" She asked.

"One of them's Scottish. Thick accent, bit of a smart mouth on him, but his heart's in the right place." Tommy told her. "The other one's a bit of a live wire. Real headstrong, kind of reminds me of Kira at times."

"I heard that!" Kira's voice came from the background.

"Great, I'm in trouble." He said. "Anyway, they'll know who you are. They've seen my video log."

"You were a Ranger AGAIN?" She asked.

"No, not this time, but I had a group of kids this year." He informed her. "I forgot how much hard work teenagers are."

"OK, I can be there by tomorrow. Tell them to meet me at 8PM." She told him.

"I'll call them now." He answered. "Good luck Kim."

In New Orleans in a small motel room, a cell phone started ringing. Charisma reached over with her heavily-tattooed left arm and picked it up, smiling as she read the caller ID.

"Tommy!" She greeted him warmly. "Checking up on us already? We barely got into town."

"I'm afraid it's business." He told her.

"Charisma, who is it?" Colin shouted through from the bathroom in his thick accent.

"It's Tommy." She told him.

"Tell him I said Hi." He answered.

"Colin says hi." She told him. "So what can we do for you?"


	2. Opportunity Knox

Kimberly never even registered the fact that the plane was on the final approach to the Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans. She had booked a flight as soon as she could and left the base quickly. David had tried to reason with her, but she was hearing none of it. It hurt her that they'd had a huge fight before she left, and it hurt even more that she hadn't had a chance to resolve the rift between them in her hurry to get to the airport, but she just had to go. As the plane landed and began making it's way to the terminal building, she was shaken back to her senses by one of the stewardesses.

"We've landed ma'am." She said gently as Kimberly stared at her blankly.

"Oh, right, thank you." She responded, gathering her few belongings. She made her way quickly through security, jumping into the first cab she could find outside the main building.

"Take me to the bus station." She told the driver. He turned around and gave Kimberly a quick glance, realising she wasn't from the area. He figured he'd gotten a nice, easy sucker he could con a few extra dollars out of by taking her the long route.

"Is this your first time in the city?" He asked as he pulled away from the kerb. Kimberly nodded as she just stared out of the window over the city's landscape. It was beginning to make the transition into night, and the few lights illuminating the city gave it an almost spiritual glow. She surmised she'd probably have loved it if she'd been coming for a holiday, or if the purpose for her visit was a happier one, but all she could focus on was that name. Albert Knox. If Mirloc had been telling the truth, then potentially he could tell her where her daughter was. Of course he had to be convinced to first. She wished Tommy or one of the others could have accompanied her on this trip, but it was arranged so hastily that she had to put her faith in a couple of strangers. Tommy had vouched for them, going so far as to clue her into the fact that they were two of the most recent Power Rangers at one point. However, she still would have felt more at ease with someone she knew.

"$48.50." The cab driver stated as he pulled up outside the bus station. "Plus tip."

Kimberly hadn't really been paying attention, so she just grabbed a 50 out of her purse and handed it to the driver.

"I hope you find what you're looking for." He said, putting the money away. "I'd suggest you get to wherever you're going soon. All the weirdoes come out at night."

Getting out of the cab, she began looking around for any sign of the two kids Tommy had sent to meet her.

"Mrs. Goodman?" A thickly accented voice came from behind her. Turning around, she could see the first of the two arrivals. He was about 5' 9" tall, and reasonably well-built. He was wearing slightly aging blue jeans and a heavy, ankle length black leather coat. His thick, brown hair was just slightly too long, and he had to brush it out of his face as he spoke, revealing bright, green eyes. He adjusted his posture a little, causing his coat to open, revealing the fact that he was wearing a T-shirt depicting the Soulfire Ranger team.

"You wear your own merchandise?" She quizzed him.

"I keep telling him it makes him look like a dork." The other stated as she arrived. She was about 5' 6" with shoulder length brown hair which was dyed with a number of blonde streaks. She was wearing a leather jacket, red T-shirt and a pair of black cargo pants. As she extended her hand for a handshake, Kimberly noticed a large, black X drawn across the back of her opposite hand. "That's Colin by the way, my name's Charisma."

"I'm pleased to meet you." She greeted them. "Seriously, your own merchandise?"

"Hey, we risked our lives several times for this planet, I can't help it if someone sees fit to immortalise us in printed polyester." He replied. "I just think it's a bit of a shame that because of the whole 'secret identity' thing we don't get a cut of the profits."

"You do realise if we revealed our identities we'd be liable for compensation claims." Charisma groaned. "We did cause a fair bit of collateral damage, and it's not like anyone's going to sue Darksoul or any of his cronies, seeing as we destroyed them all."

"I guess you're right." Colin replied, thinking about it. "Anyway, Tommy told us you'd need a hand down here."

"I'm looking for some guy in the records office named Albert Knox." She explained.

Charisma thought about it for a minute. "Tommy didn't tell us what all this was about, but for some reason that name sounds familiar. What do you say we go somewhere a little quieter and you can tell us what this is about?"

"That would probably be an idea." Kimberly replied, hefting her bag onto her shoulder. "Are you guys staying nearby?"

"We're staying at the airport motel." Colin informed her. "It's just a few minutes' walk from here."

"But I just spent $50 on a cab from the airport!" Kimberly protested.

"Bloody taxi drivers." He commented. "They're exactly the same in Glasgow. If they think they can get away with it, they'll take the scenic route and charge a fortune."

With that, the three made their way back to the motel.

Back in New Tech City, David had just finished getting Joe off to sleep, reassuring him that his mommy would be home soon. He hadn't wanted to discourage Kimberly, it was best she had hope, but he had seen her spirit crushed so many times before as lead after lead had run into a dead end. He didn't want to admit it, but it would almost have been more merciful on the poor woman if she just gave up hope and concentrated on Joe, but he knew that would never happen. The way she continued to punish herself for her daughter's disappearance made coming to terms with it impossible. He always wanted to believe that he'd see his little girl again, but it was just so hard. He remembered that once, a few years ago a child had been brought to him with a case of the measles. She looked so much like Kimberly, he couldn't continue to function without confirmation and had illegally done a DNA test on her, finding that she was his daughter. That was how he'd figured out that Kimberly was still alive. He couldn't believe that whoever took his daughter had been so irresponsible as not to inoculate her against the basic childhood diseases and reported the matter to social services, but they found the names of the parents given on the admission form were false, and the girl disappeared shortly after treatment. It still pained him to think that he was once so close to getting his daughter back, but he couldn't act without endangering Kimberly and himself. He knew whoever had taken her would surely kill her if they thought keeping her would endanger their operation. He knew it would be worse for Kimberly in a couple of weeks. She'd once again go through the ritual of "celebrating" her daughter's birthday, marking five long years since the day that started the whole nightmare.

He made his way through to the recreation area where he found Eric sitting alone with a bottle of beer in his hand. He wasn't badly drunk, yet, but it was obvious he was intending to get that way. He'd had a very bad day. He had watched one of his best friends die in battle, and then by taking matters into his own hands, he'd gotten himself suspended from active service. David noticed him holding a picture that he'd had taken of himself and Harry at one of the base's Christmas parties. It showed one of Eric's uncharacteristic goofy moments. He was always a serious minded person, but Harry's spirit of fun was contagious and he'd somehow convinced Eric to join him in an impromptu break dancing contest. Eric looked at the picture, the sorrow obvious in his face as his eyes sparkled. He gulped down the last mouthful of beer, before tossing the bottle over the bar into the bottle bin.

"Same again." He called out to the barman, reaching into his pocket for his charge card. David came over to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you sure that's going to do any good?" He asked.

"It's not like I have anything better to do for the next three months." He responded as he grabbed the fresh bottle placed in front of him.

"So your plan is...?"

"I plan to get as drunk as I can." Eric interrupted him. "And pretend today never happened."

"I have to admit the desire to do that myself." David conceded the point. "Kimberly and I didn't exactly part on the best of terms."

"Kimberly's gone?" Eric asked. "Where?"

"Where do you think?" He replied, gesturing to the barman. "I'll have the same."

"You told her?" Eric asked him.

"It's the first clue we've had in a long time." He told him. "After the day we've all had, I just had to feel like something positive had come out of it. I guess I should have expected her to act on it. I only wanted to let her know that there was a lead we could follow up on."

"That's what you get for marrying someone that impulsive." Eric commented.

"I really wish she'd left it to Cruger to chase up that lead." David stated, coming back to the point of the conversation. "At least she had the good sense to call Tommy for some support."

"So is he going to New Orleans with her?" Eric asked.

"No, but he sent someone to help." David explained. "Apparently there was a new Ranger team this year."

"Oh, right I heard about them." Eric interjected. "They operated out of Vegas if I remember correctly."

"Anyway, they were students of Tommy's, and he mentored them." David continued. "Two of them were in town for Mardi Gras, so he asked them to meet Kimberly and help her out."

"He sent a couple of KIDS to help her out?" Eric said a little incredulously.

"He trusts them." David said. "That was good enough for Kimberly, and it's good enough for me."

"Well with all due respect, I don't think there's any such thing as too much help." Eric replied. "I'll head out there."

"You think that's a good idea?" David asked.

"Well, it's that or get drunk for three months." Eric responded. "I think this plan is more productive. Besides, the way I screwed up today I figure I owe it to Harry to make sure something positive comes out of today."

David smiled as he said this, and raised his bottle. "For Harry." He said, gesturing for a toast.

"For Harry." Eric responded touching is bottle to David's.

Kimberly arrived back at the motel room with Colin and Charisma, dropping her bag in the corner. As Charisma removed her jacket, Kimberly got her first look at the intricate design running the length of her left arm.

"My uncle did it." She stated, answering the question everyone usually asked when they saw someone her age with such extensive body art. "He was a bit hesitant at first, but he knew how much it meant to me, so he reasoned at least if he did it, I wouldn't go anywhere dodgy."

"I like it." Kimberly told her, inspecting the design more closely.

"So why are we looking for this guy?" Charisma asked, getting back to the point.

"Did either of you hear about the Baby Theft Syndicate?" Kimberly asked them.

"A little bit." Charisma said. "It was huge news at the time."

"Even I heard about it." Colin told her. "It made the international news the story was so big."

"Well I was one of the women abducted." She told them. "Almost five years ago, Dr. Black stole my first child. I haven't seen her since."

"Oh my god!" Charisma breathed as she slumped down onto the bed. Colin just stared at the older woman, unable to speak. Of all the things she could have said, this was about the last thing either of them could have expected.

"Yesterday, a prisoner was being interrogated by SPD, and he said he knew someone down here by the name of Albert Knox who worked in the records office." Kimberly continued with the explanation. "He said Knox handled some of the sales down here. I really need to get him to talk."

"We'll do what we can." Charisma told her. "We'll head over to the records office tomorrow morning."

"Listen guys, thanks for your help." Kimberly replied. "I really don't want to ask you to do this for me. We haven't even met before, and it could be dangerous…"

"Hey, we've got a shared experience remember." Colin replied, gesturing to his t-shirt. Charisma rolled her eyes. "I don't care; I take it as a compliment someone made us into a t-shirt!"

"Whatever." She sighed. "Come on, let's just get some rest. Something tells me that if Knox was involved in this, he isn't going to feel particularly chatty."

The next morning, the three of them arrived at the Records Office a little after 10am, hoping that the early hour would allow them to avoid the worst of the queues. However, even this was too late. By the time they arrived, the queue was already close to reaching out of the door.

"Bloody government offices." Colin grumbled as he took his place in line. "Why do they have five windows when they only open two?"

"I guess making people wait makes them feel important." Charisma surmised, placing an arm around Colin.

Kimberly noted the gesture, and had to try hard not to smile as she remembered when she was not much younger than them, thinking about the time she spent with Tommy in her youth. The two of them had been well warned about the pitfalls of teenage romance by their parents, and Zordon had advised that it would be best to wait until after their Ranger days to begin anything serious. In the long run they had all been right.

"So what was Dr. O like back in the day?" Charisma asked. Kimberly just stared at her a little stunned as she was snapped from her thoughts. "You were on the team with him weren't you?"

"Well I don't know if I should say anything." Kimberly mused, thinking about the fact that she knew they'd probably just use any information she gave them to tease him. She'd gotten the low down from Kira about the embarrassing assault he suffered on his first Christmas with Kira because he'd unwisely invited 'Blabbermouth Jason' as well as his protégés. He had then proceeded to tell every embarrassing story about him from the day they met, right through until he graduated college.

"Well by the looks of this line, we're not going anywhere soon." Colin stated, looking at the seemingly immobile queue. "We only know he dated a former Ranger."

"He told you that?" She asked, a little surprised at the revelation.

"He kind of had to." Charisma responded, noting the surprise in Kim's reaction. "He showed us his video log, so we know he and Kira fought on the same team before they got married. So who were you talking about?"

"Oh!" Kim breathed as she realised her error. She'd walked straight into that one. "Well, back in the day we dated for a while."

"So that's two Rangers." Colin commented with a smirk. "And to think he gave us that huge lecture when we became Rangers."

Charisma noticed Kimberly glancing away from them involuntarily. "How many?" She asked, realising that she did this to prevent them picking up any more visual cues. She conceded that they had already dissected her testimony expertly. Tommy hadn't warned her how smart they were.

"Three." She relented. "Myself, Kat and then eventually Kira."

"What a hypocrite!" Colin laughed. "Oh he's going to hear about this! I can't wait till we phone Scott and Dippy."

"Technically nothing happened between him and Kira while they were Rangers." Kimberly said a little defensively, trying to claw back some of her friend's dignity. "They only got together a couple of years after their team had been disbanded."

"But they both still had powers." Colin reminded her.

"I suppose…"

"Hypocrite!" The teens chorused together with a chuckle. Kimberly just gave up. She had talked him into a hole; it was time to stop digging.

"Well we seem to be getting close now." She put down, hoping this would end the conversation.

"We've still got time." Colin chimed in. "So what else can you tell us?"

"I think I've caused your mentor enough embarrassment for one day." She stated conclusively. Glancing over, she noted a free window, and launched herself at it, making sure she didn't give the teens any more opportunity to grill her about Tommy. "Hello, we were hoping to talk to Albert Knox."

"So why are you here?" The counter assistant asked her.

"I heard he works in here." Kimberly answered. "Can I see him?"

"He doesn't see many people these days." The assistant replied sarcastically. "And he hasn't worked here in years."

"So where can we find him?" Charisma asked. The counter assistant just pointed over her shoulder to a poster on the wall. It showed a picture of a heavy set man in his early fifties, with white hair and thick glasses wearing a stylish suit. Colin read the lettering on the poster.

"Vote Albert Knox for senator?" He read aloud. He pulled a little closer to Charisma and whispered. "A politician with a dodgy past. Who'd have thought it?"

"Do you know where his campaign office is?" Kimberly asked. The assistant copied down the address from the poster and handed it to Kimberly. "Is there anything else?"

"That's all thanks." Kimberly replied. "Thanks for your time."

Early in the afternoon, an overnight train pulled in to the station. Eric stepped off the train and had a look around. It had probably not been the wisest move to take an overnight journey, but the next scheduled flight wasn't until early in the morning, and he wanted to make his way over quickly. He, like the others had reasoned that if Knox was involved in anything as sinister as child abduction, then it was likely he'd know more than a few dangerous characters and he didn't want to leave Kimberly on her own any longer than was necessary. Collecting his belongings, he made his way out of the station. He'd already done a search through the SPD database for anyone named Albert Knox, and he'd found three in the New Orleans area, but only one that used to work in the records office. He was a candidate for state senator, so he already knew this would be a mission that would require subtlety.

Kimberly and the teens arrived at the campaign office in the early afternoon. Making their way into the glass-fronted building, they were searched by a pair of huge security men with hand-held metal detectors. Colin could almost swear he saw a look of disappointment in one of the guard's faces when they found nothing on them.

"Pretty tight security." Charisma commented. "I seriously doubt those guys are a legit security firm."

"What makes you say that?" Kimberly asked.

"I caught a look inside one of their jackets." She replied. "Since when do security firms pack Tec-9's?"

"There are a couple more security guys in the lobby." Kimberly pointed out as they made their way to the reception desk. "I think the safest thing is to assume they're all packing and try not to attract attention to ourselves."

"God, I hate guns." Colin muttered as they made their way to the reception desk.

"We'd like to see Albert Knox." Kimberly said politely, trying not to arouse any kind of adverse reaction from the receptionist. She looked at Kimberly's companions suspiciously. They could tell by the look on her face that she didn't think much of them.

"I'm afraid that Mr. Knox is busy." She replied. "If you would like, I could make you an appointment."

"We're here to make a large donation to his campaign fund." Colin lied expertly, moving over to the desk.

"I'm sorry, but all donations must be made through an appointment." She insisted.

"Tell him that Mack Hartford is here." Colin carried on with the pretence. Kimberly just stared at him in confusion.

She called up to Knox office, turning away from the three as she spoke. "I'm sorry to disturb you sir, but a young man is in the lobby, claiming to have a large donation to make." She paused as she waited for a response. "He says his name is Mack Hartford." Her face dropped and went pale as the garbled sound on the other end got louder. Clearly Knox knew the name and had freaked out at his receptionist for making him wait. "I'm sorry Mr. Hartford, someone will show you through show you through shortly."

"Thanks for your help." Colin replied. As they sat down, he gestured to the security guards, still watching them carefully. "Does anyone else feel as welcome as a fart in a space suit?" He asked in a whisper.

"Who's Mack Hartford?" Kimberly asked in response.

"He was the Red Overdrive Ranger." Colin replied. "I remembered the name from Dr. O's video log. I also remembered his dad's this mega-rich explorer or something. I figured we'd be more likely to get in if he thought he'd get something out of it."

"Mr. Knox will see you now." One of the guards interrupted them. "Follow me."

They were led down the corridor to a small elevator. The guard inserted a key into the control panel, and turned it before pressing the button for the top floor. The three looked around, hoping for some inspiration as they realised that they were now heading up to his office, with no idea what they'd face when they got there, and an armed guard in the elevator.

Colin's attention was drawn as Charisma gave him a gentle nudge, and opened her jacket just enough to allow him to see that she'd picked the guard's pocket and lifted his gun.

They arrived at the top floor to find a grossly over-decorated office. Valuable paintings hung on the walls giving the room more of a feeling of being an art gallery than a political office. Knox sat behind a large oak desk, his back turned to them as they arrived. He was casually smoking a long cigar. He turned slowly towards the door.

"Pleased to meet you Mr…" His words were cut off as he saw the three standing opposite him. "You're not Mack Hartford. I've seen his picture many times in the news."

"So I told a little white lie to get us in here." Colin responded. "Sue me."

"I don't think I'll bother with that." He replied. "The two of you don't look old enough to vote, so I really don't care what you have to say. Show them out will you?"

"God, I wish the politicians back home were so honest." Colin commented. "At least you're honest enough to say that out loud."

The guard reached out and grabbed Charisma's arm, only to quickly find himself being launched across the room, ending up staring at the ceiling.

"I love it when you do that." Colin stated.

"I've got a few questions." Kimberly responded. "It's about Dr. Black."

"I have no idea what…" He suddenly made a lunge for his desk drawer, but stopped when he saw Charisma pointing a TEC-9 in his direction.

"I've never fired a gun before." Charisma said honestly. "But with this thing, I'm pretty sure I'll hit if I point in more or less your direction and pull the trigger."

Knox held his hands up where they could be seen and moved around to the front of his desk, clasping his hands behind his head.

"Now, about Dr. Black," Kimberly began, "what can you tell me about the sales?"

"I handled distribution in this area." He answered. "I was the one who made sure the sales went through without a hitch. Too many chances to be had with the messy paper trail."

"Those are babies you're talking about you twisted freak!" Charisma hissed. "What happened to them?"

"I only brought them down here to run them through a phoney adoption agency." He replied. "After that, they went to individual dealers. One in Britain, One in Eastern Europe, One in Canada and Two in the United States." He gave a shrug with an expression of disinterest on his face. "What happened to them after that is none of my concern."

"Who'll have records?" Kimberly asked him, moving over beside him with a hateful look in her eyes. She kneed him hard in the groin, dropping him to the floor. "Who?"

"We discouraged paper trails." He squeaked out as he fought to regain composure. "But I suppose the individual dealers may have kept contact lists."

"How could you do this?" Kimberly snarled as tears began to roll down her face.

"250,000 reasons." Knox replied, smirking up at her. Kimberly kicked him hard in the ribs, but Charisma suddenly looked around the room, clearly a little unsettled.

"What are you thinking?" Colin asked. He'd known Charisma long enough to know his instincts were pretty good when it came to danger.

"This is going too smoothly." She responded, looking around the room. "Why would he tell us so much so quickly?"

"Your friend's right to be worried." Knox said matter-of-factly as he pulled himself back to his feet. "You see, my security guy, who you all seem to have forgotten about has just triggered a silent alarm."

With that, several hidden doors swung open, and the three found themselves surrounded by security personnel. Charisma dropped her gun on the floor, and the three held up their hands.

"On your knees!" One of the guards barked. "Hands behind your heads!"

They complied with the order, assuming the position.

"This is why I intend to vote for gun control." Colin grumbled.


	3. School of Hard Knox

Eric arrived at the address he'd pulled up from the database a just as the heavens opened up. He was glad that the local avis had at least not rented him a convertible as he sat in his parking space across the street, watching the rear entrance of the building. He opened the glove compartment and pulled out the 9mm automatic he'd packed for the trip. All things considered, he'd have preferred to have his Quantum Morpher with him, but Doggie had confiscated it upon his suspension, so he had to make do. Pulling out the magazine, he checked the clip to make sure he'd filled it, before slamming it back into the handle and cocking the slide. Watching intently, he saw the rear door opening, he got ready to make his move, but stopped when he saw Kimberly and two kids he didn't know being dragged out of the rear of the building by five large security guards. He could already tell from here that their hands were either handcuffed or bound behind their backs, and he could guess that the security guys were probably well armed. He noticed another guard opening the back of a nearby van, and gesturing them inside frantically. As Kimberly was bundled roughly into the back of the van, he re-fastened his seatbelt. Wherever they were planning on taking them, it was unlikely their intentions were friendly. "Yeah, send a couple of kids Tommy." He grumbled under his breath. "Thanks a lot." With that, he continued to watch, waiting for when the van moved off, hoping that not all of the guards would go with them.

"Get them inside!" Do you want the world to see?" The guard in the van asked, looking around for anyone who might be passing, though all he could see was a clapped out, rusty green Ford Cortina sitting in the parking lot opposite the van. He couldn't tell from here whether or not anyone was inside the vehicle, but he chose to ignore it seeing as it was parked outside the supermarket. The driver was probably in the building.

"Stop moaning and help us." One of the guards responded in a condescending tone, as he roughly bundled Kimberly into the back. "You want to get out of here quick, get them in the back."

"Get off her!" Colin snarled.

"I'd be more worried about what happens at the other end than what happens here." One of the guards stated. "Just because Mr Knox doesn't want anybody dying around his campaign office, doesn't mean he doesn't want you dead."

"The three of you will no doubt wash ashore eventually." Another interjected. "Of course bodies wash up from the river all the time, so not much is likely to come out of that."

"People will come looking for us." Kimberly warned them.

"They always do." The first guard retorted with a chuckle as the doors of the van slammed shut. He turned around and gestured to two of the guards. "You two, take the van somewhere quiet, and get rid of them."

The two guards took their place in the front of the van and started it up. Eric waited until the others were inside the building before he started up his own engine.

"So what's the plan now?" Colin asked.

Kimberly struggled against the rough, nylon ropes restraining her hands. "If I just had a little more slack, I could probably work them loose." She grunted, continuing to struggle in the vain hope of loosening her bonds.

"There's nothing here to work the ropes against." Colin commented, looking around the interior of the van.

"This is going to hurt." Charisma remarked, standing on her left hand. She stood up sharply; screaming loudly as a sickening crunch could be heard coming from her shoulder. "Admit!"

"What the hell was that?" Colin asked as Charisma pulled her hands over her head, bringing them in front of her body.

"She just dislocated her shoulder." Kimberly informed him. "I've seen gymnasts do it a few times."

Charisma quickly untied Kimberly, a little white faced. Kimberly quickly returned the favour, before moving on to Colin. Charisma steeled herself for a few seconds, before slamming her shoulder against the side of the van to put her shoulder back in.

"How did you do that?" Colin asked.

"A few years ago, one of my opponents in my jui jitsu class didn't release a submission hold when I tapped and dislocated my shoulder." She told them. "It hurts like hell, but it's happened a few times since then. After the second time, the doctors taught me to re-set it myself."

"Well we're untied." Kimberly stated, inspecting the door. "But the safety latch has been disabled. We still can't get out."

The van began to make a right turn onto another road. Eric took this opportunity and gunned the engine, slamming into the rear corner of the van, spinning it out of control. The three captives found themselves being rattled around inside the van.

"Quick, get ready." Charisma called out, pulling herself painfully back to her feet and heading towards the door. "We only get one shot at this. When the door opens, we move."

The first of the two guards got out of the van, pulling out his gun. Seeing him as he ran towards the vehicle, Eric opened fire, scoring a hit on the upper thigh. The guard collapsed to the ground, screaming and began rolling around on the floor in pain. The driver got out the other side and opened fire with his TEC-9. Eric barely managed to duck behind another car as the volley struck the side of the vehicle. Eric popped his head over the hood, firing a couple of shots in his direction, before ducking back down. Hearing the distinctive click at the end of the clip, he sprinted as quickly as he could towards the assailant, kicking him hard in the face just as he had finished re-loading. Checking the two men were not likely to be getting up any time soon, he reached into the van and retrieved the keys from the ignition. He ran around to the rear of the vehicle, he unlocked the rear door, only to find it being kicked back into him hard.

"Eric!" Kimberly called out as she realised who had opened the door. "I'm sorry, we were trying to escape."

"Glad I could help." He groaned, getting back to his feet. "Now, let's get out of here before tweedledumb and tweedledumber call for help."

"The car looks a little thrashed." Charisma remarked as they bundled into the Ford.

"What do I care? It's a rental." Eric replied as he accelerated away from the scene.

Knox sat in his office, looking over his notes as he prepared for yet another PR appearance on the local radio when his cell phone rang. Noting the number on caller ID, he presumed it would be his henchmen calling to confirm they had rid him of his problem.

"You're calling earlier than I would have expected." He commented.

"They got away." One of his security guards informed him as he tended the bullet wound in his leg.

"They got away?" He shrieked. "How exactly can three people with no weapons who are tied up in the back of a locked van overpower and escape from two former marines?"

"They weren't alone." He responded. "Some guy slammed into the van and started shooting the place up like G.I. Joe or something."

"What can you tell me about him?" He asked.

"I've never seen him before." He answered a little dejectedly. "He could definitely handle himself. He's probably been a cop, or maybe military."

"Well just get yourselves patched up and make sure none of this gets back to me." He hissed in a sinister manner. "While you're at it, have the men sweep the city. The last thing I need is any more unexpected visitors."

He hung up the phone and turned back to his notes, but quickly gave up on them. Whoever this group were, they knew about his involvement with Dr. Black. This couldn't have come at a worse time for him. This had the potential to drag up a whole storm of trouble. Even if they couldn't prove his involvement with the Baby Theft Syndicate, the inevitable investigation had the potential to turn up a whole host of illegitimate dealings. No, he needed to end this problem, and end it soon.

Eric returned what was left of his rental car to the depot, and had walked out on the inevitable shouting match before they could really get going. He knew the car was ready for the scrap heap anyway, and really didn't care about losing the security deposit. It was probably worth more than the car anyway. He arrived back in their motel room in the early evening, to find them discussing their next move.

"Well you two appear to have been a big help." Eric snapped sarcastically. "You could have got yourselves, and Kim killed!"

"We were working on escaping." Charisma growled back, clearly unhappy at the tone in which Eric was speaking to her.

"Oh, let me guess, your plan was to get shot, let them put you in a plastic bag and run away when no one was looking." He retorted. "You're lucky I arrived when I did! You were as good as dead when I found you."

"Hey, I don't care who in the hell you are Quantum Ranger!" Colin yelled, getting to his feet and approaching him slowly. "You do NOT talk to us like that. We were Rangers too."

"Let me guess. Tommy did all the work for you." He said condescendingly, eyeing up the pair of teenagers with an arrogant smirk on his face. "Tommy's lost his mind. You two will do more harm than good. Get out of here and let the grown-ups handle the real work."

"You self-righteous piece of…"

"Eric, that's ENOUGH!" Kimberly interrupted before Charisma could get started. "They went in to support ME. I didn't think the plan through. If it hadn't been for them I'd probably have gone in with no plan whatsoever."

"Well they don't seem to have done much to help the situation." Eric told her. His tone softened a little as he spoke to her. He had to remind himself the emotional nature of her investigation to avoid plunging in with both feet. "Kimberly, I know it's pointless to ask you to step back and leave it to the professionals, but please. If you must stay, get the kids out of here. Because of that little stunt you pulled, Knox now knows you're looking for him and is probably looking to find you right now."

"Eric. Those 'kids' were Rangers just like us, and they did save the world from a danger your team didn't know about." Kimberly reminded him. "As well as that, Tommy trusts them, and that's good enough for me."

"OK, but from now on I'm staying for as long as we're in New Orleans." Eric put down. He turned back Colin and Charisma. "And from now on, I call the shots."

"Well if you're calling the shots." Charisma began, getting into Eric's face. "What do you suppose we do now?"

"First of all, we collect the information we have already." He told them. "Then we try and gather more information, and more importantly, evidence to prove it. Once we have something, ANYTHING we can bring him in on, then we can get as much information out of him as we need."

"What about the guys looking for us?" Kimberly asked.

"Well, I guess we have to be careful." Eric replied. "I'm just going to ditch this gun. I'll be right back."

"Are you serious?" Charisma asked. "The only gun we have and you want to throw it away?"

"Keeping it's too much of a risk. The bullets at the shoot out can be traced to the gun." He reminded her. "It would probably strike Knox as funny calling the cops to put an APB out on us for shooting up his staff."

"So what do we do in the meantime?" Kimberly asked.

"I suggest recon." He answered. "Change into something inconspicuous, then follow him, see where he goes and who he talks to." He reached into his backpack and pulled out a digital camera, tossing it to Charisma. "Take pictures. If we're going to use any information against him, we need physical evidence."

"We'll handle it." Colin responded, looking into his bag for a change of clothing. "It's time Mr. Knox found his laundry in a public forum."

"I'll be back within the hour." Eric told them as he turned to leave. "Unless someone's kicking the door in, no-one leave the motel until I get back."

"Is he always like that?" Charisma asked. The look on her face clearly showed that Eric had angered her with his undiplomatic manner.

"He gets on everyone's nerves at first." Kimberly informed her. She'd known Eric herself for a few years now, and knew all about his gruff personality. "He's very much a military minded guy. Once you earn his respect, he'll ease up."

"So how long does that take?" Charisma inquired.

"It all depends on circumstances." Kimberly replied. "What I can tell you is that he knows what he's doing. There's not many I'd rather have helping us out."

Eric arrived back a short time later, minus the gun.

"You two take up positions near the campaign office." Eric told them. "Let us know if Knox moves. I'll stay here and take care of Kimberly. Remember, stay out of sight, and call us immediately if he goes anywhere."

Colin just grabbed Charisma and left the room with her before she could say anything. He knew that Eric knew what he was doing, and he also knew that fighting wasn't going to help them, and he could tell that if Charisma and Eric stayed in the same room together for any length of time then that was inevitable. Eric turned back to Kimberly as they left.

"I really hope this lead turns up something for you Kim." He said as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"They'll be fine." She responded, placing her hand on his and looking into his eyes. She knew that it was a slim hope at best, but if they could somehow get Knox into custody, then they could make him tell them everything he knew, but she already knew that it wasn't

certain he'd know anything useful after so long. Her daughter had been taken almost five years ago now, and she still had no idea how many babies were missing, so it was unlikely he would remember her child specifically. That said, it was the best shot she had, so she had to take it, even if it did cost her dearly. She sighed and played with her wedding ring thoughtfully as she thought about the last time she'd seen David. She had grabbed a few things and left virtually as soon as she had heard about Knox. He'd tried to reason with her. She knew he felt the loss as painfully as she did, she knew he only wanted her to slow down and let Cruger arrange some form of investigation, but she was as stubborn as always, and just screamed at him and stormed out. She just hoped he wouldn't have taken her careless words to heart.

"He's fine." Eric informed her, noticing her body language and guessing what she was thinking about. "He's just worried about you. All he wants is to see you come home safely."

"I really wish I hadn't been so short with him." She sobbed a little as her tears began. "I really hope he forgives me. It's been so hard!"

Eric held her in his arms, feeling a little awkward. He'd quite happily faces vastly outnumbering enemy forces, evil mutants, vicious aliens and even dinosaurs, but something about emotional women always made him feel uncomfortable. Even it they were his friends. "Like I said, I talked to him before I left. It was him that convinced me to come here." He began, cradling her gently into his chest as she wept. "He hasn't given it a second thought. If you come home safely, that's all he needs."

Colin and Charisma took his bike back to the campaign office, this time electing to set up in the multi storey car park across the street as opposed to trying to get any closer. They'd already had one close call with security and they weren't keen to repeat the experience. Colin pulled a pair of binoculars out of his jacket and checked through the window of the top floor office to make sure Knox was still there.

"We're in luck." He told her. "He hasn't left yet."

"There's a car pulling up at the front." She pointed out. Colin took a closer look and noted a member of his security detail getting out of the vehicle.

"Security." Colin stated. "I don't think we'll have too long to wait." He glanced back at the window and noticed Knox answering his phone, before hanging up and getting up from his desk. "We're on."

They re-mounted the bike and made their way down, to just inside the entrance, taking care not to draw too much attention to themselves as they waited for Knox to make his move. Charisma took this opportunity to hit speed dial, calling Eric.

"He's on the move." She told him.

"Keep on him." He answered. "Let me know if he stops, but don't get too close. The last thing we need is for him to know he's being followed."

"Not an issue." Charisma stated. As Knox got into the car and began his journey, Colin pulled out of the parking complex and followed him at a safe distance. They pulled up on the pavement across the street as the car pulled into a parking space by the docks. They watched as Knox disembarked with two security guards and an unknown blonde woman in a flowing red dress and made his way aboard a large yacht sitting in the marina. Charisma took a few shots quickly as Colin looked around for signs they had been seen, satisfying himself that they had not been spotted. Charisma again dialled Eric.

"He just boarded a yacht at the marina." She informed him. "The name on the boat appears to be…" She craned her neck to get a better look at the side of the hull. "Fair and True."

"It seem Knox has a sense of humour." Eric commented. "OK, just sit tight and wait until they return. I'll be there by the time they get back."

"I think I can see a way to get on board." Colin interjected.

"No, don't do anything stupid." Eric told them. "Just sit tight until I get there."

"The evidence we need might be on that ship." Charisma shot back. "If we can get aboard, we should check it out." She hung up before Eric could protest any further. "So what's your plan?" She asked her accomplice.

"Damn kids!" Eric roared as the phone cut off in his ear. "They're going to screw this whole thing up. Come on, let's go." He grabbed his jacket and made his way to the door, gesturing for Kimberly to follow suit.

As the ship pulled out of the harbour, Colin lifted the awning of the lifeboat they had hidden in.

"This plan really sucks." She whispered. "When you said you had a plan, I thought you meant finding disguises or something, not playing dangerous ninja games."

"It was the best I could come up with at short notice." He told her. "Anyway, no-one's down this end, the party appears to be up the back. Let's go."

They quietly got out of the small boat, they kept low, out of sight of the crew in the control room. Charisma gently opened the hatch into the hold, and the two slid carefully below deck.

"OK, I think we might want a few pictures." Colin gasped, looking at the contents of the hold. He moved over to a pile of plastic bags and poked a hole in one with his finger, carefully inspecting the white powder inside. "Something tells me this isn't sugar." He looked around the ship in total disbelief. "There must be tons of it in here."

"I guess we know how he's been funding his campaign since he lost his contacts in baby theft." Charisma remarked as she began snapping photographs. "OK, now we need a plan as to how exactly we get out of here."

"He doesn't seem to have much of a storage system." Colin remarked. "He seems to have all this crap down here with the food and the drink for his little soiree."

"Check this out." Charisma stated, calling his attention to a couple of crates marked as explosive. Grabbing a nearby crow bar, she forced open the nearest crate, and pulling out a large rocket. "It seems Mr. Knox wanted to cap off the evening's festivities with a fireworks display."

"That could come in handy for a distraction." Colin remarked.

"Who the hell are you two?" One of the security guards yelled as he entered the hold. Another entered behind him and levelled his gun at them, only to have it shoved towards the floor by his comrade. Colin and Charisma didn't question the move, and just made a b-line for cover.

"Don't fire that in here you idiot!" He screeched. "That white's worth more to the boss than you are. Now put it away." He did so reluctantly, before they both pulled out flick knives and began stalking the hold looking for the two intruders. Colin and Charisma squatted behind a stash of the product out of sight.

"You hear that?" Charisma whispered. "They can't use their guns down here."

"We can use that to our advantage." Colin replied, realising what she was getting at. Charisma handed him the crowbar as he rounded the stash in one direction, and she went the other.

"Over here." Colin called out. The thug lunged for him with the knife, only to find the air driven from his lungs as the crowbar connected with his ribcage. Hooking one of his legs, Colin whipped it from under him, sending him crashing to the floor before driving his heel into the side of his head, knocking him out cold.

As the second approached, Charisma grabbed him from behind, twisting his arm painfully, causing him to drop the blade, before elbowing him hard in the face, watching his unconscious body slump to the floor.

"That's those two dealt with." Colin remarked as they dragged the unconscious guards out of sight. "They must be meeting up with another ship to make a trade."

"Well, let's arrange a little surprise for them." Charisma suggested, nodding her head in the direction of the fireworks.

"You know, I really love the way that evil little mind of yours thinks." Colin told her.

"Well we can celebrate properly when we're back on dry land." She told him. "Now, help me find some packing tape."

The party was going well up on the top deck. Knox had assembled most of the city's glitterati for the occasion, and was really giving the performance of his life among the movers and shakers aboard.

"So how did you afford this marvellous ship." A man in an expensive white suit asked him.

"I'm from this town born and bred." He began the rehearsed speech. "My dad used to run this ship as a fishing boat. Once he retired, I simply didn't have the heart to sell it, but I didn't have a stomach for seafood, so I had it converted."

"Well it looks wonderful." He told replied. "If I were a suspicious man, I'd ask how you could afford this refit and still run a strong campaign."

"It's just as well suspicion isn't guilt then." He joked, causing the other guests in earshot to laugh. "I would have expected a more objective approach from the current DA."

"I'm just making a comment." He replied with a grin as he lit up a cigar. "I'm well aware of how damaging a libel case can be."

"It looks like our other guests are arriving." Knox interjected as another ship approached. They touched each other, rail to rail and the crew quickly lashed the sips together. "Enjoy the rest of the party everyone." He continued to a huge cheer. "I would call it a victory party, but the votes aren't in yet."

Colin had just finished taping some fireworks to the underside of the hatch to the cargo area when he heard a noise from the side of the hull. As he and Charisma hid behind some of the drugs, they watched as a small hatch in the side of the hull opened up.

"Set those smoke bombs here." He said to Charisma as they prepared to quietly make their way back onto the front deck of the ship. As they arrived back, they saw the other ship at the side where the hatch had been opened.

"So he quite literally moves the gear under everyone's nose." Colin remarked.

"You've got to admit, he's one cheeky son of a bitch." Charisma responded. "You deal with the lifeboat; I'll get the last few photos."

Colin began cranking the lifeboat down the side of the ship as slowly and quietly as he could while Charisma climbed onto the top of the ship. Laying on the roof on her belly, she began snapping a few shots, careful to time it as the guests were taking photos to avoid attracting attention. "Everyone and his uncle's here." She remarked. "No wonder he never gets raided."

Quickly making her way back down to the deck, she tossed the camera to Colin in the boat, before leaping overboard into the river. Colin quickly grabbed her arm and helped her back into the boat. "Time we got out of here." She commanded.

"Your wish is my command." Colin replied, lighting the touch paper. With that, they started up the engine, only now drawing attention to their presence. Knox and some of the party guests looked over to where their boat was. They stopped briefly a short way from the yacht.

"Hey, Knox." Charisma shouted. "We just wanted to play you our favourite tune." She took the camera back and began snapping more pictures.

"The 1812 Overture." Colin Concluded as the hatch to the storage area blew off. A short time after that, huge clouds of bright green smoke billowed several feet into the air, attracting a nearby law enforcement ship.

"I think you may have used too many smoke bombs." Colin told her. Charisma just shrugged and continued snapping photos as Colin gunned the engine to facilitate their escape.

"Everybody stay where you are." One of the police officers ordered as they began boarding the ship. "We'll have everything under control in a minute."

"Sir, I think you'll want to have a look at this." One of the officers yelled as the smoke began to clear enough to see into the hold. The cops surrounded the hatch, pointing their guns down to where the crew were trying to exchange the goods when the smoke bombs went off. "It looks like there's enough snow down there to give EVERYONE a white Christmas."

The chief turned to Albert Knox, knowing full well it was his ship. "I think you have some explaining to do." He said sarcastically. The DA approached the hatch and looked down himself.

"I guess now I know how you afforded your campaign." He said dryly. "I suggest you find a good lawyer."

Eric and Kimberly arrived at the marina to see the pandemonium unfolding in the middle of the river.

"What the hell have they done?" He screamed. "Didn't I tell them to be subtle?"

"You did, but just look at the police presence." She pointed out. "If there is anything on that ship, then it'll have been found."

"It was." Charisma interrupted them, arriving behind them, wearing Colin's jacket, which was by now the only dry piece of clothing she was wearing. She gave the camera a gentle underarm throw to Eric who caught it. "Here. Get that to the police, they're going to want a very serious talk with our friend there."

"It turns out he has a new method of financing his political aspirations." Colin told them. "He had at least a couple of tons of coke in the hold of his ship. Something tells me that fancy speeches aren't getting him out of that any time soon."

"What can I say, I'm impressed." Eric responded, offering his hand. "You two did great."

Charisma thought about it for a second before accepting the gesture. "Thanks."

"Yeah, we just wanted to help." Colin carried on, accepting a handshake as well.

"It was unorthodox, but it got the job done." Eric stated with an uncharacteristic grin. "Sorry I was such a jerk, sometimes I make judgements about people a little too quickly. I know a lot of trained professionals that wouldn't have pulled off what you two did."

"I really appreciate your help guys." Kimberly chipped in gratefully.

"So, I'll just make a copy of this and send it to the DA." Eric began, removing the memory chip from the camera. "Then maybe we can get something to eat?"

"Could we just order in pizza or something?" Charisma asked, clearly shivering despite Colin holding her tightly. "I really need to get into some dry clothes."

And with that, they all made their way back to the motel.

The following morning, Knox was wakened early in his cell by a pair of police officers. He sat up on his bed, analysing them thoughtfully. "Am I being interviewed?" He asked.

"Not here, and not by us." One of the officers replied. "A letter came in from the DA's office. Another agency has requested you be transferred to their custody."

A blonde man in a suit walked in, standing a short way from the disgraced politician.

"I'm agent Wesley Collins." He introduced himself. "I'm here to transfer you to New Tech City. There's a lot of questions we need to ask you."

The following day, Kimberly and Eric were preparing to make their way back to New Tech City, packing their few belongings before they headed for the airport.

"I know I've said it a thousand times, but thank you." Kimberly told the teens. "What you did for me really means a lot."

"Hey, we were all Rangers once right?" Colin put down, waving off the thanks.

"Anyway, you two enjoy the rest of your road trip." Eric said, shaking each of them by the hand. "You did great. I would be proud to serve with either of you again."

"Well, we wanted to talk to you about that." Charisma began. "Colin and I were talking, and we were kind of thinking we'd like to come with you."

"We were only planning on touring for the next couple of years before we enrolled in college." Colin told them. "But we think your quest is far more important."

"I really couldn't ask you to put yourselves out any more." Kimberly responded.

"We wouldn't mind." Colin told her.

"Well I would." She told them. "I really appreciate everything you did, but you have to live your own lives.

"At least let us give you our cell phone numbers in case you need something." Charisma pleaded. "We wouldn't feel right about leaving you like this."

Kimberly accepted their numbers and programmed them into her own cell phone.

"Just remember, call us if you need anything, and we'll be there." Colin reiterated the sentiment.

"Thanks." Kimberly said again as she hugged them both. "Goodbye. Enjoy the trip."

"I'm sure we will." Colin told her. "Besides, it's Mardi Gras, and I'm sober. I need to rectify that problem soon."

"Well if you acquire any beads, then we're through." Charisma warned him light-heartedly. "After I've kicked your ass of course."

"Have I ever told you you're cute when you're jealous?" He asked her as they waved off the cab taking Eric and Kimberly back to the airport.

"When have I ever been jealous?" She retorted.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" He quizzed her cheekily as they made their way into the centre of town.

Back at SPD headquarters, Kimberly and Eric arrived back to a warm reception from David and Wes.

"You got him." Wes greeted them cheerily as they arrived. "We're going to interview him in the next couple of hours."

Kimberly stepped forward a little. "David I…"

"You were right." He interrupted her. "We should check out every possible lead." He held her close to reassure her he didn't hold anything against her. "In future, could you just wait for us to arrange support for you?"

"I'll try." She said, pulling away a little and wiping her eyes dry.

"Myers, come to my office." Cruger's voice announced over the PA system. Eric made his way sheepishly to Cruger's office wondering what else Cruger would do to him. Arriving, he saluted and stood to attention.

"What you did was against protocol and could potentially have exposed SPD to the public eye." He began. "But it was noble and commendable." He looked Eric square in the face as he continued to address him. "Your investigation showed compassion, forethought and intelligence. All the things I felt you lacked because of the Tate incident."

"I'm sorry sir." Eric said, trying hard not to show his tears at the mention of his friend's name. "I miss him very much."

"We all do." Cruger told him. "You will finish out the original months suspension, then return to duty." He handed Eric back his morpher. "Wesley had agreed to resume his role as Red Ranger until we find a suitable replacement. He'll interview Knox with David shortly."

"Thank you sir." Eric said, saluting. As he was about to leave, he suddenly found himself stopping.

"Is there something else Myers?" Cruger asked.

"Two teenagers helped us with our investigation." He told his commander. "They were part of the Soulfire Ranger team. In my opinion they showed real promise. I just wanted you to know it might be worth keeping an eye on them."

"Who says I'm not?" Cruger asked in return. "We will have our own morphing technology within the next couple of years, at which point we will be looking for suitable candidates to assume those powers."

"I can think of few I would rather serve with." Eric replied honestly.

In the interview room, Knox just stared at Wes and David thoughtfully.

"So when do you start beating me with a phone book?" He asked with a chuckle. "I know I'm bang to rights on the coke, so I won't bother denying that charge."

"We're not interested in the coke." Wes told him. "Like you said, we have enough to convict you with or without your testimony. We want to know about your involvement with Dr. Black."

"Who?" He asked with a feigned ignorance.

"We already know you were involved with the theft and distribution of newborn babies." Wes continued.

"Well it doesn't matter what you know." Knox reminded him. "It only matters what you can prove, and if you could prove it, then we wouldn't be having this little chat."

"We found enough gear on your boat to put you away for life." Wes reminded him. "It doesn't matter to you if you're convicted of this offence. We only want to return the children to their rightful families."

"I would feel the same way in your position." Knox replied, slumping back into his chair. "But like you said. It doesn't matter to me one way or the other, so even if I did know something, why should I say anything?"

"I guess it's time to bring out the big guy." Wes stated.

"That should scare him into testifying." David commented.

"Oh so now you're going to beat me?" He laughed. "Please do. After I sue whatever agency this is for every dime I can get, I'll waltz out of here on a plea bargain to prevent dragging your names through the tabloids."

Wes got up, unfazed by this statement and made his way to the door. "Sir, the prisoner is uncooperative. I would like you to assist with the interview." He said.

"Please, what could…" His words were interrupted as he took in the figure he'd just seen step into the room. He almost fell out of his chair in shock. "Holy mother of God, You're…"

"Not human." Cruger answered, standing across the table from Knox. "Now, about those contacts of yours."


	4. Where to Next?

A/N: Kimberly and David are going to be spending a lot of time over the next couple of chapters in Russia, and unfortunately, I do not speak or write Russian. Anything speech written in italics is to be presumed to be spoken in Russian. 

"Well?" Cruger pressed the terrified little man sitting opposite him. "What can you tell me about your dealers?"

"What the hell are you?" He asked Cruger, clearly more than a little rattled to be confronted by a seven foot talking dog. "What is this place? Am I in area 51?"

"Area 51 has been a glorified landfill for almost thirty years." Cruger informed him. "All the real interesting work gets done here. Now tell me where I can find those dealers!"

"I don't know!" He squealed as Cruger's fist slammed onto the table, causing him to jump. "We kept it anonymous. It's like the connection I had to Dr. Black. We only ever dealt through pseudonyms. Mine was Klondike."

"No doubt you were called that because you made the majority of the money." Cruger surmised.

Knox nodded nervously. "The sales went through for between 2 and 5 million a time." He carried on with his confession. "I arranged the transfer of the children through a bogus shipping company, and laundered the money through offshore accounts, taking my commission off each sale."

"From what I understand that's about $250,000 per sale." Cruger stated. "Averaging four births a year for the three years we are aware the syndicate was running that makes you a profit of $3,000,000."

"I negotiated a fixed fee. Everyone else got a percentage of what was left. Look, the point is I didn't know any of the contacts." He stammered. "I only met Black once; the only time I found out his real name is when I read that he'd been shot."

"So you are confirming that Lucius Gordon was Dr. Black." Cruger confirmed. 

"I am confirming that much." Knox sighed. "I only knew the sites used to pick up the children and the code names for the dealers."

"Well that's a start." Cruger began as Kat walked into the room. She held out a judgement scanner levelling it in his direction. "But we need confirmation. My colleague is holding a device called a judgement scanner."

"What is this place? Freak central?" He asked, noting her unusual appearance.

"It accurately measures guilt or innocence with 100 accuracy." Cruger continued, ignoring his comment. "It may not be classified as solid enough for a criminal prosecution…yet…but it is reliable enough for us to know if you're telling the truth."

"You're just trying to scare me." Knox said vacantly, trying to reason out what was happening to him. "I can't tell you what I don't know."

"We'll start with what you DO know." Cruger suggested. "There were two dealers in America. Their names and pickup locations. One at a time if you please."

"The east coast contact operated out of New York." He told them. "His codename was Johnny Four, and his pickup location was Mr Pussykin's cat food factory east of JFK."

"Is that all you know about him?" Cruger asked.

"Yes." Knox admitted.

"Guilty or innocent of lying." Kat interjected. The device flashed for a short while, before flashing up a bright blue circle. "He's innocent."

"That's one down." Cruger stated. "Tell us about the other American contact."

"He operated right here in California." He informed them. "His code name was The Stork. The pickup location was the Livewire nightclub a couple of blocks from LAX. That's all I know." Kat again activated the device.

"He's clean." She told Cruger.

"You had a contact in Canada." He put down, now taking a seat and gesturing to the man to continue. "Care to elaborate?"

"Alberta." He began. "He picked up at Maxwell's haulage depot just north of the Rockies. His codename was Eagle. That's everything."

"Clean." Kat confirmed.

"You're doing well." Doggie commended him. "Just two more to go; now tell us about your U.K. contact."

"His codename was Sassenach." Knox continued. "He operated out of Glasgow. The pickup point was an abandoned chapel a few miles outside the city. I don't know anything else, not even the name of the church. He'd call the driver directly with the location. I don't know anything else."

"He's telling the truth." Kat sighed. 

"Be patient." Cruger said with authority. "We have one more contact to check up."

"The last contact was called Gemini." He pre-empted. "They operated out of St. Petersburg. The pickup location was a distillery a little way north of Catherine Palace. It was called Bolshevik Brand, but it was a complete cover. No vodka was ever produced. That's everything.

This time the scanner flashed up a large red cross. "He's lying about something."

"What else do you know?" Cruger asked him forcefully.

"The contact wasn't one person." He informed them. "It was a pair of brothers. They tried to force us to give them a bigger slice, so we found out more about them and blackmailed them to keep them quiet."

"Who are they?" Cruger snarled. 

"Only Black knew all the details." Knox squealed. "He said they were former Spetsnaz. Apparently like many they decided organised crime paid more than the state after the fall of the Soviet Union. That's everything I swear!"

The scanner flashed the blue circle again. "He's told us everything." Kat confirmed.

"I'm really going to want a decent deal out of this." Knox breathed with a relieved smile on his face as Doggie and Kat turned to leave the room. "I mean, now that I know about all of this, I'll really want to talk about a reduced sentence for my silence."

"That's not going to happen." Wes said, suddenly reminding him of his presence as they left, closing the door behind them. He pulled a device from a briefcase on the desk a short way from where he sat. "We're going to erase your memory, then send you back to New Orleans. There you'll stand trial for the cocaine bust."

"Erase my memory?" He asked. "You're not…" He was cut off as the device flashed, finding himself confused that the clock on the wall had advanced several minutes without him noticing.

"Damn this guy's trying my patience!" Wes screamed passionately, as though frustrated with his lack of cooperation as he hid the device behind his back. "Do you know any amendments other than the fifth? This was a waste of time!" He slid the device back into the case discreetly. "Guards!" A couple of guards entered the room as he screamed this. "Transfer this waste of space back to Louisiana, let them deal with him."

"I knew you'd break before I did." Knox said arrogantly as the guards led him from the room.

"Everyone should have a dream pal." Wes commented as he watched him go, chuckling to himself at the irony that he was arrogant about lasting out questioning when he was singing like a canary not even five minutes earlier.

David and Kimberly were in the family area of the base, sitting down to dinner with their son when Cruger approached them.

"Doggie!" Joe screamed excitedly, pointing at the base commander. "Hiya!"

"Hello again Joe, it's good to see you again." He responded as he sat. He turned back to Kimberly and David. "He's getting bigger."

"He is." David replied with a smile. "We've started him reading already."

"You're a smart little one aren't you?" Cruger asked the child.

"I want to be an SPD Ranger when I grow up." He answered.

"Well we'd be lucky to have you." Cruger chuckled as he helped himself to Orange Juice. "I wanted to talk to you about your personal matter."

"Joe, could you go and play for a minute?" David asked his son, causing him to jump off his seat and sprint from the room. "Go ahead."

"Knox hasn't given us many leads, but he did give us some information." He told them honestly. He sat down with them as they stopped eating. "He's given us code names and pick up locations, but not much else. We did, however get a fair bit of information on the Eastern Europe branch."

"What do you know?" David asked. 

"It was run out of St. Petersburg by a couple of brothers who used to be Spetsnaz agents until the Soviet Union crumbled." He told them. "We're running those details through the computer as we speak to see if it finds any known criminals who match that description."

"It's not much to go on." David sighed.

"It's a start." Kimberly replied.

"SPD will help you as much as we can." Cruger continued. "However, I know you'll understand that we can't be seen to be helping you. We still have to maintain a low profile at present. Unfortunately you'll still have to do most of the investigation yourselves."

"We understand Doggie." Kimberly responded. "Thank you."

"I just wish there was more we could do." He said regretfully as he rose from his seat. "I'll give you any information we have as soon as it becomes available."

"Sir, I wanted to talk to you about something." David interjected as the commander tried to leave.

"There's no need." Cruger interrupted. "I've already found a replacement for you. Dana Mitchell starts here next week. Just know there's a job waiting for you when you feel ready to return."

"Thank you." He responded.

A couple of hours later, Kimberly and David were called to the command centre. As they arrived, they noticed a couple of pictures on the screen behind them.

"Is this them?" David asked.

"We think so." Cruger replied. "They are the individuals who most closely match the description given to us by Knox, and currently the owners of Bolshevik Brand Vodka. This 

one is called Afansy Kruchev." He said pointing to one of the two screens. The man appeared to be blonde, around six feet tall and heavily muscular. In this picture he appeared to be wearing a white Italian designer suit. "He was a general in the Red Army during the Cold War, serving with the Spetsnaz or Special Forces. He was decorated many times for his services to his country, before being laid off as a cost cutting measure when the USSR split back into it's component countries. He was put to work by a local crime syndicate, then known as the Crimson Tide, and given a crash course in capitalism. Three years later, all the leaders of the syndicate were found dead in the streets all around the city and Afansy and his twin brother assumed control unchallenged."

"What can you tell us about his brother?" Kimberly asked.

"Vladimir Kruchev." He began, pointing to the other screen. Looked almost exactly like his brother. He was dressed very stereotypically for a former Russian soldier, wearing a heavy greatcoat. He appeared to be marginally shorter and slighter than Afansy. "He served in the Spetsnaz alongside his brother, and entered organised crime with him. His brother appears to be the brains of the operation, and handles most of the business deals. Vladimir keeps control over the more hands-on side of things. He has been diagnosed as clinically psychopathic and is considered highly unstable." He began pacing the room gathering his thoughts as he continued with his briefing. "Since they took control of the Crimson Tide, they renamed it Hell's army and began recruiting several former soldiers and scientists who were out of work following Russia's decline and began forcing out other factions. They now run over 80 percent of the Drug manufacture, arms distribution, loan sharking and illegal gambling in the city." He leaned on the table and spoke to them more directly. "I won't lie to you. These are highly dangerous people. Almost everyone who's come against them has ended up dead. I would advise you to get some support if you intend to take them down."

"What about local law enforcement?" David asked.

"Afansy's paid up with the right people." Cruger informed them. "The local police cannot be relied upon to aid you in your task."

"Can you think of anyone who can help?" Kimberly asked.

"We appreciate all your help." David stated. "We'll be on our way as soon as we can get a flight."

"I've already made the arrangements." He informed them, throwing a pair of plane tickets onto the table. "You've got two hours to get packed. Myers will drive you to the airport."

"You have no idea how much this means to us." Kimberly gasped gratefully as she hugged the commander before leaving the room quickly to get her belongings together.

Early in the evening, they were on board the flight for Russia. Kimberly rested her head against David's shoulder as she watched Joe sleeping on the seat by the window. She envied that about her son, she was never a restful challenger.

"I've just thought of something." David said, breaking the relative quiet of the journey. "We're going to Russia. What do we do about…?"

"I can speak some Russian." Kimberly interrupted him, pre-empting the question. "One of my early gymnastics coaches was Russian. Her English was terrible, so most of us ended up getting a good grasp of Russian."

"You never mentioned it before." David told her, a little surprised by the revelation.

"We've never had to go to Russia before." She replied. "David, do you really think our daughter could be here?"

"It's possible." He sighed. "I really hope so."

"So do I." She replied, a tear beginning to roll down her cheek. 

"I know it's hard, but we really shouldn't get our hopes up." David reminded her. "We still don't know which of the dealers she was sent to."

"Wherever she is," Kimberly sighed, "I just hope she's safe."

The plane landed in St. Petersburg several hours later. They couldn't believe how cold it was when they stepped out of the terminal. They knew the climate in Russia was harsh in the winter, but they were completely unprepared for how badly the wind cut straight through even the thickest of their clothing. Kimberly picked up Joe and held him close to keep the poor young boy from freezing.

"I'll get us a cab." David shouted as he rushed to the edge of the pavement.

"Mommy, I'm cold!" The little boy whined, shivering in her arms.

"I know you are, mommy's cold too." She said soothingly as she inwardly hoped that David would find them a cab quickly. On this occasion, they were in luck, as a driver pulled up at the kerb shortly afterwards.

"Hilton." David yelled over the wind, before waving Kimberly over. She got into the back of the cab as David dumped their case in the boot. He joined them quickly afterwards. The driver noted their shivering and chuckled.

"Your first time in city?" He asked sarcastically in broken English. Taxi drivers were the same everywhere. Just like airline staff, they tended to speak English, especially around the airports since the majority of tourists did. "I turn up heating."

"Thank you." David responded.

"American?" He asked. They nodded in response. "All Americans are surprised by our climate. It takes some getting used to."

"Can you tell us where we can find some warmer clothes?" David asked. "We thought our winter gear would handle it."

"There's military surplus store in centre of city." He told them. "Buy fufaika. It not cost much and very warm. Mine last me almost 20 years."

"_It's a beautiful city."_ Kimberly said.

"_You speak Russian?"_ The driver asked, a little surprised by this fact.

"_My old gymnastics coach was from Moscow."_ She told the driver. _"Her English was awful."_

"_Well normally tourists are quite arrogant and expect everyone to speak English for them."_ The driver stated. _"It's nice when someone makes an effort. I'll take you the quick way."_ With that, he turned the car onto a side street off the main road.

"What's he doing?" David asked. "The freeway's that way."

"He's taking us a shorter route because I made an effort to speak Russian." She answered, before turning back to the driver. _"Thank you. Do we go anywhere near the Bolshevik Brand Vodka distillery?"_

"_Why do you want to go there?" _He asked, frowning as he spoke. _"Everyone knows it never produces any Vodka."_

"_We're looking for the owners." _She stated. The cab driver threw the car carelessly into the drop off zone in front of the hotel, before turning to face them, his eyes wide and filled with fear.

"I must warn you Americans." He began, speaking again in his broken English so they could both understand. "The Kruchevs are not nice people. They are criminals of the worst kind. I beg of you, do not have anything to do with them."

"They may have something which belongs to us." David shot back.

"Then I would consider it lost and forget it." He replied honestly. 

"We can't do that." Kimberly told him. 

He sighed deeply before looking back at them. "If you must deal with them, be careful what you agree to and pay debts quickly. Anyone who owes them is never safe." He looked at Joe and smiled at him. "He's a handsome boy. How old is he?"

"He's three." Kimberly answered.

"I have girl same age." He responded. "For his sake, if you must deal with Kruchev brothers, always remember old saying. You deal with devil, you never turn and look away."

"Thank you." David said, handing him the fare along with a generous tip.

"You give me dollars!" He yelped with excitement.

"I'm sorry, we haven't changed any money yet." He replied.

"No, I prefer. Local money worth nothing." He explained. "I hope you do business quickly and go home safely."

As the cab driver pulled away, they were approached by a man wearing a heavy jacket and denims. His hair was black, but had a couple of silver streaks running down the fringe. His dark eyed shone with a wisdom that belied his apparent age. He approached them slowly, waving to reassure them.

"David and Kimberly?" He asked.

"That's us." Kimberly replied.

"Tommy called me and said you'd be in the area." He explained. Kimberly realised that Cruger probably called Tommy to ask if he knew anyone who could help. "I've been travelling the word for a couple of years now, I kind of like Eastern Europe."

"Excuse me, I didn't catch your name." David interrupted, causing the stranger to do a double-take. 

"Sorry, I should have remembered to introduce myself." He apologised, extending a hand. "I'm Merrick."

"Kimberly." She answered shaking his hand. "This is my husband David and our son Joe."

"Pleased to meet you." He greeted the toddler with a smile.

"It has to be said, you look good for your age." Kimberly complimented him.

"Benefits of clean living." He chuckled at the reference to his age. "3000 is the new 30."


	5. Pride of Russia

A/N: Just a reminder, anything written in italics is to be presumed to be spoken in Russian.

Merrick accompanied David and Kimberly to their suite. As they arrived in the room, Joe ran and hopped onto the bed with a barely concealed excitement. After the bitter cold of the weather outside, the warmth of the room was a welcome change.

"Tommy didn't tell me everything." Merrick began, making his way over to the bed and picking up a welcome mint from the pillow. "Do you mind?" David gestured fro him to continue. Throwing the chocolate covered mint into his mouth, he carried on. "But he told me about what happened to your daughter. I'm sorry."

"We've been told that a couple of guys in this area used to carry out the sales in this area." Kimberly answered him. "The Kruchevs."

Merrick's face dropped as she mentioned the name. Clearly he'd heard of them. "Alfansy and Vladimir pretty much own this city." He explained. "They own a number of bars, nightclubs and restaurants throughout the city. That's how they launder their profits."

"Profits from what?" David asked.

"The majority of their money comes from gun running." He explained. "They're paid up with many people in the former Red Army, and regularly sent shipments of guns and military hardware into Africa."

"Why there?" David asked.

"Selling their wares to gang members brings in smaller margins than selling to armies." He explained. "Guns go south, Blood Diamonds come north and the Kruchevs get rich. One of the most deprived and war torn countries on earth and they supply them with the means to kill each other."

"That's awful." David gasped. "When did this begin?"

"The Kruchevs have been one of the leading Russian arms dealers for the last four years." He informed them. "They've used the money from that to finance their in roads into other areas. Anyone they can't buy out, they drive out."

"OK, how do we go about getting information out of them?" Kimberly asked. "Something tells me they aren't going to just tell us what we want to know."

"I think infiltration would work better than confrontation." Merrick suggested. "Last time I checked, I wasn't bullet proof, and it's been years since I last had Ranger powers."

"So what's my cover?" Kimberly asked. 

"It wasn't you I was thinking about." He told her. 

"You?" She asked.

"The Kruchevs have more muscle than they know what to do with, so they aren't going to take either of us as hired help." He began, rounding on David. "However, I have heard that they're in the market for a new patch up man."

"No way." Kimberly put down flatly. "David's never done anything like this, he could be killed!"

"I wouldn't have wanted you to risk your life either." David told her. "If it means we get the information we need, then I'll do it."

"Just like in the states, if a doctor treats a patient with a gunshot wound he's meant to report it to the authorities." Merrick explained. "Afansy likes to have a doctor on the payroll to patch up his guys without having to send them to the hospital."

"What happened to the last doctor?" Kimberly asked.

"I suppose you should know, since it's you that's going to be taking the chances." Merrick sighed. "Vladimir killed him. The doctor beat him at pool, so Vladimir sent him out of the hotel the quick way from the 32nd floor."

"There is no way you can risk it David." Kimberly shrieked. "The man's clearly insane!"

"I'll just not play him at pool." He breathed. "Kimberly, we need to get close to them to get that information, and I'm the only one that can offer them what they need. I need to do this."

"It would probably be a good idea to come up with a good cover story." Merrick suggested. "It will probably seem like a bit of a coincidence if a man with a medical background just suddenly turns up asking about a job with the local mob."

"One false ID coming up." He stated, hitting the speed dial on his cell phone. "Kat, it's David. I need you to provide me with a false identification. Something which will check out, The Kruchevs are looking for a doctor."

"Give me a moment to work." She said, beginning to work quickly with her computer. "I'll have your documentation sent out to you."

"How quickly can it get here?" He asked.

"Wes should be able to deliver it by tomorrow afternoon." She informed him. "Be careful David, these guys have absolutely no respect for human life."

"I'm getting that impression." He replied. "Thanks Kat."

"Anyway, I've got to get back to my place." Merrick announced as he made his way to the door. "This is probably going to take you a while, so how about you check out of here and come to my apartment tomorrow?"

"Thanks Merrick." Kimberly responded. "We don't know how long it'll take to get the Kruchevs to trust David."

"No problem." He answered. "I'll meet you tomorrow night at the AK 47 club. The Kruchevs meet there every Thursday to go over the week's business."

The following afternoon, a bellhop knocked gently on the door, alerting David to his presence.

"Excuse me sir, but someone delivered this to reception." He said in a thick accent. 

"Thank you." David replied, handing the young man some money. As he turned to leave, he crinkled his nose at the tip.

"_Cheapskate."_ He muttered under his breath. Kimberly however had heard him.

"_If you're not happy with the tip, give it back."_ She snapped, snatching the money from his hand. _"I've never met someone so unbelievably rude! You're lucky I don't call the duty manager on you and get your ass fired right now! Get out and don't come back to our room!"_

"_My apologies madam."_ He mumbled sheepishly, completely taken aback by the fact that the Americans he had just insulted actually knew Russian, and good enough Russian to grasp what he'd just said. He was sure he'd gotten away with it. _"I won't disturb you again."_

"_See that you don't!" _Kimberly spat, slamming the door behind him. 

"Looks like Kat's come through again." David commented, pulling out a passport and a driver's licence. He looked at the picture on the licence; Kat had electronically changed the hair colour from David's usual red to black, and removed his facial hair. She had even gone so far as to give him a pair of glasses. "Say hello to Dr. Charles Wainwright." 

"What's the rest of this stuff?" She asked.

"Just some stuff she says will be helpful." David explained as he began reading through a sheet on which she'd created him a back story. "Apparently I was working in Boston, but I got struck off for botching an abortion and leaving a 19 year old dead."

"Why does she want you to say that?" Kimberly asked.

"It explains why I want work from the Kruchevs." He explained. "Like Merrick said, it'll look suspicious if a doctor turns up wanting work from a crime syndicate, of course if he CAN'T work anywhere else, then he'll earn more as a mob doctor than he will in the unemployment office."

"I guess that's true." She conceded. "What about this stuff?"

"The glasses apparently house a small digital camera that's good for about fifteen shots before the images are uploaded." He explained. "The hearing aid is a communications device that'll let you hear and speak to me from another location. She knows I can't speak Russian and that you'll be able to warn me if they're saying anything I should be worried about."

"Well at least that's one thing." She mused. "I'm still not happy about you going in there."

"If it helps us get our daughter back, I'll take that chance." He stated. "Now, will you help me dye my hair?"

"Sure." Kimberly replied. "Course it'll be really interesting to see you without that beard."

Merrick was already in the bar when David arrived. He made his way over to see him, taking a seat beside the former Ranger.

"I love the new look." He teased the doctor, noting his new appearance. He was wearing a black business suit, with a white shirt and red silk tie. He normally couldn't be bothered too much about dressing formally, but he decided it was best to fit in with the affluent clientele of the club. It was filled with all the young, rich people of the city, all carelessly pouring away money on drink that would cost them only a third of the price anywhere else. 

"It wasn't my decision." David told him. "My face still itches like hell from that shave."

"Are you carrying a gun?" He asked.

"No." He answered.

"Well security will take it off you, but they'll probably think it's odd if you're not packing." Merrick told him, sliding him a magnum under the bar. "Take this."

David quickly slid the large pistol into his inside jacket pocket. "Where are they?" He asked.

"They're in the VIP lounge upstairs." He replied, nodding in the direction of the stairs. "They shut it every Thursday just for them."

"I guess it's time I introduced myself." David muttered, getting up and turning to leave.

"David." Merrick called him back. He handed him a large glass of Vodka. "It's Russia. Everyone drinks."

"Thanks." He responded, making his way over to the security guards by the stairs. The large man placed a hand on his chest.

"Private function." He said in a heavy accent.

"I've come looking for work." David told him.

"Send in resume." The guard replied sarcastically. 

"I'm not looking for bar work." He continued, handing a business card to the massive guard. "Tell Mr. Kruchev that I'm here."

The guard pulled out a walkie talkie and contacted the owner. _"Some American's here looking for a job. He says he's a doctor."_ Kimberly translated for him. _"Right away sir."_

He turned back to David. "I will take you upstairs, but first I must search you. You understand."

"You can't be too careful." David answered, standing with his arms out to his sides. The guard patted him down, removing the magnum, and giving his a curious look, before gesturing to him to follow. When he got to the private lounge, he saw the two men for the first time in the flesh.

Alfansy was wearing a black designer suit that looked like it cost more than most cars, set off with a black shirt and a deep, purple silk tie. He was casually sipping a cosmopolitan, and sitting with his arm around a short, dark haired woman in her late twenties with very pale skin. He whispered something to her and she got up and left the room. He waved David over, revealing a gold Rolex watch on hid left wrist. His hair was immaculately styled. His brother however was not so immaculate in his appearance. He wore a black silk shirt and a pair of designer jeans, but his ash blonde hair was unkempt. His cold blue eyes were glassy. From the half-empty bottle of Vodka in his hand, it was obvious he was heavily drunk. 'Great.' David thought. 'Psychotic and completely hammered. Things are going well already.' The guard who had shown David in handed the magnum to Alfansy to inspect.

"_This is the American doctor."_ The guard explained. Alfansy inspected him thoughtfully with his icy blue eyes. David was beginning to get a little worried as he sat in silence.

"It's ok David; he's just explaining who you are." Kimberly informed him. Finally Alfansy spoke. Unlike the guard, his accent was not as thick, and his voice no where near as harsh, if anything his voice was unusually soft. Unlike many of the others he'd come across, Alfansy's English was excellent, clearly the result of many years trading with others.

"Why do you come into my club carrying such a weapon?" He asked, holding up the magnum. 

"I carry it for protection." He told the man, all the while trying to gauge his mood. "You know Americans."

"Indeed I do." He answered with a smile. "If it had been a silenced weapon I may have suspected you of trying to kill me. I have many enemies."

"Well I'm not one of them." David answered. "I'm just looking for work."

"What kind of work?" Alfansy asked. "What is your name?"

"Charles Wainwright." He introduced himself. "I heard through the grapevine that you might have work for a doctor."

"Doctors earn a lot of money." He answered, after giving a nod to one of his guards in the corner by a computer. David could see that he had typed in the name; clearly they were running a background check on him. "Why do you need a job?"

"My licence got revoked." David told him. "I can't practice legally, and I figured this would pay better than tending a bar."

"_I don't trust him."_ Vladimir hissed. 

"_It's your fault we need a new doctor."_ Alfansy reminded him. _"Let me do the thinking. You concentrate on killing your last few brain cells with that vodka."_

Kimberly quickly relayed what they had just said to each other. Alfansy looked over to the guard at the computer. He turned around, giving a little nod and thumbs up sign. Kat had obviously done her job well. "If I hire you, I will require, how you say, patient doctor confidentiality." He said with a little smile. "You will see many unusual injuries, and I would rather my business did not become public knowledge."

"Hey, if the pay checks clear, I don't give a rat's ass how the injuries occurred." David answered. 

"Then we understand each other." Alfansy stated. "Svetlana, bring in some more Vodka. The good stuff." 

The dark haired woman returned with two large glasses of the spirit and set one down by David, and the other by Alfansy. "This is my wife Svetlana, isn't she beautiful?" David nodded. "In Russia, we always conclude business over Vodka."

As they were about to drink, two men burst in the back door, dragging a third man with them.

"_What the hell happened to Kirill?" _Alfansy yelled as they lay the man on the floor.

"_It was a hit."_ One of the men shouted back. _"The Slaughter Housers came for the latest shipment. Kirill got hit."_

Kimberly frantically relayed all this to David. "It looks like your job starts a little early my friend." Alfansy stated. "You must save him."

David inspected the man quickly. Obviously he hadn't been shot long ago; he hadn't bled much from the shot to his thigh. "Pass me the corkscrew and the Vodka." He commanded. Both were handed to him. He poured the Vodka into the man's mouth. "This is really going to hurt. Hold him down."

"He'll not understand." Alfansy said, before repeating the message in his henchman's native tongue. The injured man was held tightly.

David carefully cut the wound a little larger with the foil blade on the waiter's friend.

"What are you doing?" Vladimir screamed. "You're meant to make him better, not worse!"

"I need more room to remove the bullet." He informed him. Sliding the blade past the bullet, he flicked it out, placing it onto an ash tray on the table. He then poured some more vodka 

onto the wound to sterilise it, causing the man to scream in pain. "Svetlana, do you have a sanitary towel, or a tampon?" 

"What for?" She asked.

"I don't have any dressings here." He answered. "It'll serve as an effective dressing until I can get him somewhere I can treat him properly." She fished around in her purse for a while, pulling out a small packet and handing it to him.

"Here!" She answered. David applied the makeshift dressing. "Have him taken to somewhere I can treat him."

"It's alright my friend. We can handle it from here." Alfansy told him, gesturing to the men to remove Kirill from the room. "Welcome to the organisation." With that, he shook David's hand. Vladimir came over, carrying a Kalashnikov.

"_We must avenge this outrage!"_ He roared. _"Get me some back-up. I'll make those vermin wish they were never born!"_

"Don't worry; it's not you he's pissed at." Kimberly informed him.

"_We will strike back in force tomorrow night."_ Alfansy told his brother. Vladimir slumped back down onto the couch and began swigging from his half-empty bottle again. "I must apologise for my brother. He is, as you say, impetuous."

"I noticed." David answered. "So I guess I should give you my cell phone number."

"Do that tomorrow." Alfansy said, sitting back down. "Tomorrow I would like you to meet us at the distillery. We are going on a little hunting trip, and there may be some injuries. Be there at 8:30."

"I will." He told the gangster. "In the meantime I should be going. I really should be well rested if you're expecting trouble."

"Of course my friend." Alfansy responded. "I appreciate a man who takes his responsibilities seriously."

With that, David left, breathing a sigh of relief that he'd gotten out of there in one piece. That assault rifle appeared to be loaded, and Vladimir was totally out of his mind. Never mind shooting straight, David doubted he'd be able to walk straight in his condition. 

The next evening, David arrived at the distillery, finding about a dozen men in combat fatigues preparing to leave. He saw two red vans sitting in the middle of the warehouse floor. Moving slowly past them, he had to try hard not to faint as he saw that the door in one of them was open, and it was filled with AK 47s. Vladimir sat in the back, wearing body armour and casually smoking a cigarette as he cocked the mechanism on his own rifle. He noticed David looking at him and held up the rifle. "Pride of Russia!" He laughed, gesturing to the rifle. He had a point; the gun was the most successful export from the country since 

vodka. David could tell by the way they were armed, this wasn't just a simple hit; this was going to be a bloody massacre. He activated the camera in the glassed, taking a couple of pictures of the weapons in the back.

"I see you're here." Alfansy greeted him, looking at his watch. "You're early too. I wish I could depend on all my employees like that."

"This all seems a little heavy." David commented, gesturing to the vans. "Are you going?" 

"I leave the messier side of the business to my underlings." He remarked. "My brother, as I'm sure you've noticed is crazy, so he likes to get involved."

"Are the medical supplies ready?" David asked. "I'd like to get set up."

"Just follow Kirill there." He stated, pointing to the man who'd been shot the previous night. He limped up to David and tapped him on the shoulder. 

"Follow me." He ordered. David followed him into a side room which had been set up as a surgery. David carefully inspected the tools he had to work with. Clearly the Kruchevs weren't exaggerating when they said they were expecting trouble. It was almost as well equipped as the surgery back at SPD headquarters. He heard the vans leaving and resolved to have a look around. He headed upstairs, finding Alfansy in his office, reading a newspaper. David entered the room behind him.

"Is there something I can get you my friend?" He asked.

"I was wondering if I could get a little advance." He lied, causing Alfansy to sit upright in his chair. "I have a little outstanding debt with a bookmaker."

"Gambling is a bad habit." He answered. "I would break it. Not many employers would pay a man BEFORE he starts work." With that, he crossed over to the safe and typed in the combination. David carefully took a few pictures, timing the clicks as Alfansy pressed the buttons on the safe door. Opening it, David briefly saw a stack of file folders in the safe as Alfansy picked up a bundle of American Dollars and threw it onto the table in front of David.

"There is one thousand dollars." He informed him. "In future, no more advances. I only pay you because I owe you for Kirill."

"Thanks." David replied picking up the cash and stashing it in his inside pocket. "I won't ask again."

With that, he went back down to the surgery to await the return of the war party. Pleased that at least now he had left with some information to relay to Merrick. Hopefully he'd have some idea as to how they could use it.


	6. Organised Chaos

A/N: Just to answer the inevitable questions people may PM me regarding unusual alerts in their in-box, I had taken down this story, because I was beginning to hit a major block, and wanted to save it from sitting for ages without an update, but suddenly got inspiration for how to finish the Russian portion of this story, and so I humbly apologise for any inconvenience, it wasn't intentional. Also, once again, just a reminder that anything written in italics is to be presumed to be spoken in Russian.

David made his way carefully to Merrick's apartment the following evening, taking precautions to ensure he wasn't followed. The last thing he needed to do now was endanger his wife and his son, he'd already witnessed first hand how volatile the situation was with the Kruchevs, and he didn't welcome the thought of crossing those lunatics again any time soon. He circled the block once more, checking over his shoulder to check for anyone tailing him before heading into the building. 

It wasn't much, but Merrick had rented a single bedroom apartment above a small café just a little way from the city centre. Checking with Merrick's note to make sure he had understood the address correctly, he knocked the door and waited for an answer. Merrick opened the door and quickly glanced into the hall. "Come on in." He greeted David before closing the door behind them.

"David!" She greeted him enthusiastically, kissing him and holding him close to her. "I'm so relieved you're safe!"

"It was a bit touch and go there for a while." He responded, making his way over to the bed. Joe had tried to stay awake until his dad could come back, but his exhaustion had finally overtaken him and he now lay peacefully asleep on the couch, covered by Merrick's jacket. David kissed him gently before picking up a small parcel wrapped in coloured paper. It had pained him that the timing of his job for Alfansy had meant he couldn't be there on the day he knew Kimberly most wanted him by her side. "I take it this is for her Birthday."

"Merrick took me to a nearby toy store." She sighed. "She's now five years old. Soon she'll be starting school."

David just held her for a little while. Merrick finally gave a small cough to remind them he was in the room. "I'm sorry. It's a rough time of year for us." David replied.

"Well, let's hope not for much longer." Merrick replied. "Did you get anything?"

"Alfansy doesn't trust me enough to show me anything major." David began, hooking up the glasses to a laptop and downloading the images. "No doubt Vladimir would kill me if I tried to ask too many questions. I only got a small glance at his safe." He checked the images to make sure he'd managed to get the combination. "There appears to be folders in there, but I have no idea if there's anything important in there or not."

"Whoa, they're packing some pretty serious hardware." Merrick commented, cycling through some of the pictures. 

"You should see it up close." David replied. 

"We need to have a look at those files." Merrick stated, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Somehow we have to get a copy of those documents. It's not much, but so far it's all we have as a start."

"Somehow we need to divert attention away from the distillery while someone gets in and copies those files." David continued. "They have a photocopier in the office, so it shouldn't take too long to copy those files. Thirty minutes tops. I'll try and get back into the office in the next few days."

"If there's anything important in those files, then they'll never leave you alone in the building with them." Merrick pointed out. "We'll create a diversion, then someone can sneak in."

"Does anyone have any ideas what we can do to get them away from there?" Kimberly asked, a little concerned by this plan.

"There's a plain just a little outside of town they regularly use to conduct business." Merrick told them. "If we create a disruption there, then they'll call for backup, and the distillery is the closest property they have." 

"So how do I get in?" David inquired.

"You don't." Merrick stated flatly. "You're the new guy; they'd suspect you right away if anything happened. You have to go to the plain with them. If you're somewhere Alfansy can see you when trouble kicks off, then he won't suspect you."

"I'll go in." Kimberly breathed gently. "It's been a while, but I think I should still be able to pull off some of my old moves."

"Kimberly, maybe I should go." Merrick suggested.

"We'll need you to organise the distraction." She told him. "If David's going to have to risk his neck out there, I'd rather someone was overseeing the whole thing."

"There's nothing you can say to make her change her mind." David interjected with a smile. "I've been married to her long enough to know that."

"OK, somehow we need to get them out to that plain." Merrick continued. "We need to convince them something big is going down."

"Perhaps we could contact them about some kind of deal." David suggested. "Pose as a bogus buyer."

"They wouldn't show up in person for anything small." Merrick replied as he thought about it. "He seems to have some kind of dealings with a local ambassador. Maybe we can find out more about that?"

"Anything's worth a shot by now." Kimberly responded. "Merrick, could you keep a tail on Alfansy?"

"I'm sure I could manage." He responded.

"David, you continue to work for him, but be careful." She continued. "I'll take a camera and have a look around the distillery. We'll need to move quickly if we get an opportunity to move in."

"I better get back to the motel Alfansy sorted out for me." David responded, kissing Kimberly once more. "Stay safe honey, I'll be in touch as soon as I have something to tell you."

The next day, Merrick and Kimberly began their respective surveillance assignments. Merrick had rented an old Skoda from the nearby rental place and parked up outside one of Alfansy's restaurants. Noting his car parked outside, he knew he was in the area. He just hoped that he could find out something they could use to lure everyone into the open.

Kimberly meanwhile had taken Joe on a recon mission around the old distillery. She knew it had been a long time since she had actively competed in gymnastics, but she still worked out on occasion, so she hoped she'd be up to the job at hand. Noticing a bus shelter near the wall surrounding the perimeter, she took a quick snapshot. 

"Mommy, I'm cold." Joe complained.

"I know you are sweetie." She responded sympathetically, moving around the building and taking another couple of snapshots. "I promise we won't be much longer." 

Merrick was humming a tune he used to play on his flute for the Wild Zords to break the boredom when he noticed the Kruchev brothers leaving the restaurant. Waiting a little while for them to pull away and allowing them to get a safe distance ahead of him, he started up the engine and began following them. He knew that they were cautious, and the last thing he wanted was to draw attention. They seemed to be driving, almost at random around the city, before eventually coming to rest outside a government office.

"I guess they're coming to see the ambassador." He mused, getting out of the car. He looked around for somewhere to get a good vantage point into the building, noticing a small apartment block across the street. An elderly woman was just entering the security door, so he rushed to get to it and enter behind her before it shut.

"_Oh, are you Mrs. Kolcheska's boy?" _The Elderly woman asked, noticing him in the doorway. _"She said she was expecting you."_

"_Yes I am."_ Merrick lied. _"My name's Nikolai."_

"_Always nice to see the young ones don't forget their elders." _She responded, allowing him in. _"You seem like such a nice young man."_

"_I'm older than I look, but thank you." _ He replied, making his way upstairs as the elderly woman headed into her apartment. Merrick headed up a couple of floors before finding a spot to look into the building across the street. 

Zooming in as far as his digital camera could manage, he searched among the available windows before finding them in an office on the second floor talking to a man he didn't know. He snapped off a couple of shots as he watched the meeting. The man in the office appeared to be giving them a folder of documents of some kind. Alfansy shook the man's hand with a bright smile on his face before turning to leave.

Merrick vaulted the banister, making his way down the stair wells back to his car as quickly as he could, only just beating them onto the street, and getting into his rental car. He would know soon enough if there was anything important about this meeting.

David sat alone in his motel room, waiting for any kind of news. Eventually his cell phone rang, checking caller ID, he realised it was Alfansy. 

"Dr. Wainwright!" The gangster greeted him warmly. "How are you my friend?"

"I'm fine." David responded, trying to stay in character and not give away his deception. "Please, call me Charles."

"Of course I will." He shot back. "Can you come to the distillery?"

"What's happened?" David asked. "Is someone hurt?"

"No, no one's hurt, far from it!" Alfansy chuckled. "No, I just wanted to invite you round and discuss something. Some of my men are looking for some…medication…if you get my drift."

"You want me to sign off some prescriptions." David confirmed.

"They're just looking few painkillers, some steroids, nothing much." He continued. "Meet me at the distillery in one hour."

"I'll be there." David responded, hanging up. He quickly dialled Kimberly. 

"Kimberly, where are you?" He asked.

"I'm back at the apartment." She answered. "I think I might have found a way in."

"I'm going to the distillery." David told her. "Alfansy wants me to rubber-stamp some prescriptions."

"Just be careful." Kimberly reminded him. "I love you."

"I love you too honey." He answered, putting away his phone. 

Merrick followed the car back to the distillery, and watched the two brothers and their driver heading inside. He noted that they took the dossier with them. Taking another couple of photos, he prepared to make his way back to the apartment, before noticing David arriving. He made a quick mental note of the fact he was there, and then headed back to the apartment.

David arrived in the distillery a little while after midday. He met one of Alfansy's guards on the factory floor.

"The boss is expecting you." He remarked. "Come on through."

As David arrived in the office, he noticed Alfansy putting a dossier into the safe, before shutting it, suddenly becoming aware of David's presence.

"You're early." He commented. "An admirable habit, you will find the prescription order on the table."

David began writing on a few prescriptions. 

"So tell me Charles. Do you have any family?" Alfansy asked him.

"No." He lied. "I used to have a wife, but we split up."

"That is very sad news." He responded. David considered the questioning for a while, recalling the background story Kat had given him. Was Alfansy checking up on him? "Family is very important. You've met my wife Svetlana. We do not have children yet, but we hope to one day."

David had to try hard to keep his temper in check as he said this. Was this guy for real? Was he really harping on about family values when he was involved in the abduction of babies? Quite possibly even his? "I agree." David continued the pretence. "If I find the right woman, I'd quite like to start a family."

"What would you prefer?" Alfansy asked him. "Personally I'd like a son a big, strong boy to teach the family business to."

'Why don't you just steal one you psychotic piece of crap!' David thought to himself as he scribbled more prescriptions. "Wouldn't you rather he made his own way in life?" David asked. "You know, decided what he'd like to do?"

"Please, if that happens, what becomes of my business?" Alfansy questioned him jokingly. "My brother has all the enthusiasm and energy in the world, but he is a moron."

Vladimir shouted something aggressively in Russian before launching a bottle at Alfansy's head. Ducking the missile, Alfansy began screaming back as David dived for cover. 

"Trust me; you don't want to know what they're saying." Kimberly predicted the question in his head as they argued. "But it's not about you, so don't worry."

'That's easy for you to say.' David thought as the screaming match continued.

"I am sorry you had to see that." Alfansy stated as his twin brother stormed out of the room, slamming the door hard on his way out. "I sometimes forget how sensitive my brother can be."

"Don't worry; I know all about family squabbles." David remarked. "I've seen loads of them in my surgery." He picked up the stack of forms and handed them to the more stable of the sibling. "That should satisfy a pharmacy."

"Thanks you my friend." Alfansy responded. "I will call you if any more work comes up."

David carefully made his way back to the apartment, finding Merrick and Kimberly already comparing notes. He approached them, interrupting their conversation.

"The Kruchevs stopped by a government office today and picked up a dossier from someone there." Merrick informed him. "Kimberly sent a picture to SPD and Kat gave us the low down on this guy."

Kimberly threw down a printout on the man in front of David. "His name is Piotr Ulyanov." She told David as he observed the document. "He's a Russian ambassador who acts as a liaison with the African Government."

"That's how they get clearance for the transfer of arms out of the country, and the payment to come back." David surmised. He thought about his visit to the distillery. "Alfansy was putting a dossier into the safe when I arrived."

"As an ambassador, he'd have diplomatic immunity." Merrick reminded them. "However, as well as that, he'd be able to fast track their way through the customs procedures. Maybe that dossier's a clearance for another delivery."

"I wonder what they're paying him." David stated. "Surely it must be worth a lot."

"It can't really be according to this." Kimberly interjected. "He has a small house, two cars registered to him and his wife and no major accounting abnormalities." She looked at David a little puzzled. "He appears to be living well within the means of an ambassador's salary."

"Maybe he isn't being paid." Merrick suggested. "Maybe the Kruchevs have something on him."

"But what could they use as leverage?" David asked. "He has diplomatic immunity, so he wouldn't be prosecuted for any offences, and they couldn't threaten him or his family because targeting such a high profile figure would draw too much attention to their activities."

"Maybe it's more personal leverage." Merrick suggested. "It wouldn't be the first time a politician's been involved in an affair or something like that."

"Whatever it is, it could be the key to bringing down the Kruchevs." Kimberly interrupted them. "I suggest we move on them tonight."

"What do you suggest?" Merrick asked. "We need to clear out the distillery, and we have to ensure they don't identify David as being the traitor."

"I think it's time Dr. Charles Wainwright left the building, permanently." David responded, pulling off the glasses and fake hearing aid. "I'll be out in a few minutes."

"Where are you going?" Kimberly asked.

"To wash this crap out of my hair and change into some decent clothes." He answered.

A little way before midnight, Merrick and Kimberly approached the distillery. Merrick noted two guards near the gate. "David said there's usually three inside the building." He remarked. "Unless the twins are in there."

"David said they were attending a function at one of their clubs tonight." She responded, pulling on a balaclava, covering her face. "Just get rid of the two by the door."

Merrick pulled his hood up and began walking slowly towards the main gate as Kimberly quietly made her way around the side of the building. She leapt as high as she could, catching the top of the bus shelter before quickly hauling herself onto the roof, awaiting the distraction from Merrick.

Merrick approached the two guards, who regarded him a little suspiciously. He pulled out a cigarette, holding it up._ "Have you got a light?"_ He asked.

One of the guards moved a little closer, pulling out a lighter. Without warning, Merrick grabbed his wrists, twisting them painfully to prevent him reaching inside his coat for a gun. He threw a powerful high kick, bringing his foot across the second guard's temple, knocking him cold before he could respond, before he dropped the guard he was holding expertly with a reverse spin kick. Looking around at his handiwork, he decided to complete the distraction. Grabbing both guard's guns, he fired off all several rounds into the air, before throwing them into the yard, and sprinting into the car. He waited a second until the others left the building before he sped away.

"_You two, go after him." _One of the guards snapped. The other two got into a nearby car to head off in pursuit, leaving him alone to take care of the property.

Merrick threw the car onto the freeway with reckless abandon, deliberately swerving close to a police car to attract attention. As the vehicle fired up it's siren and began to head off in pursuit, the gangster's pursuing vehicle blasted past them, attracting their attention.

"I couldn't have timed that any better if I'd tried." Merrick commented as he saw the cops join the chase. Flicking off his lights, he threw the car up an off-ramp and into a parking lot, throwing it into a parking space between tow other vehicles and killed the engine. He unclipped his seatbelt and hid low in the car as he watched the gang car being pursued by the cops.

"I guess it's time to take this back." Merrick stated as he pulled out of the parking lot.

Shortly after the commotion Merrick had caused, Kimberly hopped onto the exterior wall surrounding the distillery and ran around it carefully with a practiced balance. She knew from her earlier recon that it connected with the building around the rear. Arriving there, she made her way onto one of the nearby window sills, though she barely made the leap and had to haul herself onto the ledge in a far less graceful fashion than she had hoped for. 

"That's what having two kids does for you." She grumbled, before pulling out a metal bar. She waited for the distraction David had planned, thanking her lucky stars that she had made it into position on time. At exactly midnight, as planned, David called the office phone. The guard made his way up to the office to see who would be phoning at this ungodly hour. Watching him enter the office, Kimberly smashed the window and made her way inside, quickly finding a hiding place nearby. The guard rushed over as quickly as he could, finding the window smashed.

"_What the hell happened here?" _He wondered out loud, beginning to search the area. Watching him pass her position, Kimberly brought the metal bar down sharply across his wrist, disarming him, before kneeing him sharply in the stomach, then again in the face, leaving him unconscious. Not taking any chances, she threw his gun out the window before rushing to the office.

"David, I'm in." She informed him. David had suggested she take Kat's fake hearing aid communicator with her for the mission. "What's the combination?"

"3-90-22-6-0." David told her. Punching in the code, the safe opened. She quickly pulled out all the folders, amassing dozens of sheets. She began loading the contents of each of the folders into the copier one folder at a time, stapling the contents together to keep them organised. "How long do I have?"

"About 18 minutes." David informed her. "Keep it up."

"I'm almost finished." She told him, loading the last of the files into the machine. She snatched the last copies from the copier, stapling them quickly before throwing the dossiers back into the safe and locking the door. "I'm done." She informed him. "I'll be back soon."

"I knew there was a reason I married you." David remarked. 

With that, Kimberly hopped out of the window, again barely making the jump to the exterior wall, before hopping onto the street below. Removing her mask, she ran a couple of blocks to a nearby train station and hailed a cab. She hadn't expected things to go so smoothly, but as she fought for breath, she once again cursed what her age and lifestyle had done to her conditioning.

"_Are you alright?" _The driver asked. _"Are you sick?"_

"_No, I'm just middle-aged."_ She joked. _"I hate getting old, but I suppose it's better than the alternative."_

Back at the apartment, David Merrick and Kimberly looked over the contents of the files they had managed to steal. If they were going to find anything, they needed to be quick about it.

"All of these customs clearance forms seem on the level." Merrick sighed, throwing down another document. "Without a confession from Ulyanov, there's no way any of this will be seen as suspicious."

"That's odd." Kimberly interrupted them, her face an expression of confusion. "This file is nothing to do with shipping."

"What is it?" David asked.

"It's a birth certificate." She answered. "And medical records."

David looked over the records. "These records are for Ulyanov," he told them, "and his wife and son."

"Why would they keep that?" Kimberly asked.

David's eyebrows almost disappeared beneath his hairline as he continued reading. "We've just found the leverage the Kruchevs had over Ulyanov."

The following morning, Ulyanov entered his office, to find two men in suits standing in front of him. David and Kimberly were sitting on a couch in the corner.

"_Who the hell are you?" _He asked.

"Please speak English so that Dr. Goodman here can understand." One of the men in suits began, showing him his identification. "My colleague and I are from Interpol. We would like to talk to you about your involvement with the Kruchev crime syndicate."

"All lies and slander to sully my good name." Ulyanov lied with practised ease. "They are exporters. I occasionally have dealings with many exporters, but nothing untoward has ever been found."

"Well since we can't get you on that, perhaps we can talk about your son." The officer responded coldly, placing the medical records in front of him. Ulyanov's face completely drained of colour as he read the files. 

"How did you get these?" He asked. "You can't have acquired these legally. They are not admissible as evidence."

"But we can use them to launch an investigation, which WILL result in your son being DNA tested." The agent continued. "We both know what the result of that will be."

Ulyanov collapsed into the leather office chair by his desk and wept openly. "My wife was very sick many years ago." He confessed. "She had an operation which saved her life, but left her unable to carry children."

"She had a hysterectomy." David confirmed. Ulyanov nodded weakly. "That must have been very hard on you, I'm sorry."

"My wife took it worse than me." He continued. "I was just happy I still had the woman I love, but she was heartbroken."

"The Kruchevs gave you a baby." The agent stated. Again, Ulyanov nodded.

"They told me they normally sell for between 2 and 5 million dollars, but in exchange for fast-tracking their deliveries through customs they would give me the child for free." He explained. "I did it for my wife."

"I don't think you need me to explain how serious all this is." The agent continued. "If you will testify against the Kruchevs, then your co-operation will be taken into account when your own trial begins."

"I've lost everything." Ulyanov sobbed.

"Tell that to the couple who's child you have." Kimberly interjected. 

Vladimir and Alfansy were sitting in one of their clubs when the police raided it. Alfansy gestured to his brother to stay his hand with a gesture as they stormed the place.

"_Officers. What seems to be the trouble here?"_ He asked innocently.

"_Ulyanov's confessed to everything."_ The sergeant informed him. _"You're under arrest for wide scale illegal distribution of military hardware."_

"_I have a very good lawyer." _Alfansy said defiantly. _"I will not even spend the night in prison."_

"_Don't be so sure." _An Interpol agent responded, showing him his ID. _"Now, we also have a warrant to access all your records, both hard copy and electronic. I suggest you co-operate."_


	7. You Take the High Road

A/N: The results are in, and the story stays. Thank you to everyone who wrote to give me their opinion on the matter. I can't guarantee how regular updates will be, but since you want the story to continue, it will. Here's the latest chapter, I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for your patience. Knightwood!

Kimberly and David arrived back at the SPD base a few days later. They had already gained access to the Kruchev's files from Interpol, and had begun attempting to work through them.

"Is there any news?" Kimberly asked hopefully, arriving behind Ethan, who was working frantically with the computer.

"Man this thing's really ticking me off!" He snarled, slamming a hand into the top of the screen. "They seem to have some form of high security encryption on their system. It's seriously starting to get on my nerves!"

"If anyone can handle it, I'm sure it's you." Kat reassured him. "I hate to admit it, but when it comes to computer codes, you're probably better than I am."

"I'll keep working on it." Ethan grumbled. "But I can't promise anything. It's really heavy encryption. Without the Kruchev's giving us the decryption codes, it could take hours to force our way in."

"Well they don't appear to be too co-operative." Cruger stated, announcing his arrival in the room. "Interpol have been interviewing them almost non-stop for days. They're refusing to say anything. David, Kimberly I'm glad you got back safely."

"It definitely had it's moments." David commented. "I'm just glad I can get started on growing my beard back."

"We unfortunately haven't made any inroads to the operations in North America and Canada." Cruger informed them. "However, we may have a lead on the British operation."

"What kind of lead?" David asked.

"Vladimir mentioned a contact in Scotland." Kat explained. "They regularly traded information with a man who operated out of Glasgow. It's a weak link, possibly even a mere coincidence, but their contact may be Sassenach."

"Well it's a start." David replied with a shrug. "When can you get us information on him?"

"They gave us the man's real name." Cruger began. "We should have a full briefing on him available by the end of the week."

"Thank you." Kimberly breathed heavily, making her way back to the family quarters with Joe.

"It was her fifth birthday while we were away." David explained as he saw the look of concern on Cruger's face.

"I was aware of that." He responded. "It isn't getting any easier for her is it?"

"I'm afraid not." David sighed. "I really hope Ethan turns something up. I don't know how much longer she can take this."

"We'll let you know if we find anything." Cruger said sympathetically. "Your wife needs you. You should go to her."

David made his way back into their family room, finding Kimberly sadly laying down her newest parcel on the dusty pile in the corner of the kid's room.

"Happy Birthday." She breathed gently, kneeling don beside them as though praying to a shrine. A few tears began to come as she sat in silent contemplation. David came over beside her and held her close, gently stroking her back.

"We've still got no idea where she is." She sobbed gently.

"We have to stay positive." David reminded her. "We found one of the missing kids. The kid Ulyanov had is going back to his rightful family. If it can happen for them, then it can happen for us."

"She won't even know us." Kimberly wailed. "She could walk past us in the street and we wouldn't know. It hurts, it hurts so much."

"I know it does." He told her. "I feel it too."

Kimberly wept a little more forcefully, her breathing suddenly becoming very rapid. She almost collapsed into David's arms, fighting for breath.

"Here honey, take this." He instructed her, handing her a paper bag. "I'll get your medication."

Kimberly could only sit on the floor, rocking gently as she attempted to get her breathing back under control. Her chest tightened and her vision blurred as she continued to fight to remain in control, but she was failing rapidly. She collapsed onto the floor, barely breathing and unable to function. David found her on the floor as he returned to the room, placing her into the recovery position before activating a medical alert alarm.

"She's barely breathing!" He yelled as the first of the paramedics arrived on the scene. The paramedic quickly strapped an oxygen mask to her face, opening the valve on the canister. Another paramedic wheeled in a gurney, helping the other man lift her onto it.

"She's on medication." David informed them, handing over the bottle. The paramedics took it before taking her to the emergency room. David just slumped down onto the nearby bed and held his head in his hands. It always pained him to see her like this. She was always such a strong person. That was what had attracted him to her in the first place, but this whole business had taken that from her so cruelly. It was as though Dr. Black had ripped out her heart at the same time as he stole their daughter. He wept as the shameful thought once again 

crossed his mind. If their baby had died, then at least they would have had some closure and Kimberly could move on, but as it stood, she was doomed to this perpetual nightmare.

He arrived in the recovery room a little while later, finding her lying on the bed, clearly more than a little shaken by the experience. This was the worst attack she'd had in a long time. She was normally able to recover by herself before things got serious, but this was the first time in years she'd actually been hospitalised by the experience. He found a blonde haired doctor in a pink blouse checking over her vitals.

"Mrs. Goodman, I'm going to prescribe you some stronger medication." She told Kimberly softly. "Hopefully this will ease up the symptoms. All I can suggest is that you try not to upset yourself so much."

Kimberly just turned over away from the doctor. She didn't have the energy to argue, but her temper rose as the doctor spoke. Was she serious? Don't get so upset? She was waiting to hear if perhaps the last reliable lead on her daughter's location would work out, and she was telling her not to get upset? How did she think she'd be?

"I've given your wife a mild sedative." The doctor informed David. "Hopefully that will help her relax and get some rest."

"Thank you doctor," David answered her, "I take it you're my replacement."

"I'd prefer to think of myself as a substitute." She responded, shaking his hand. "Dana Mitchell."

"Doggie told me he was hiring you." David informed her. "I understand that patching up Rangers isn't exactly a new thing for you."

"I've done my fair share." Dana replied. "I even managed to get a little field action myself."

"It almost makes me wonder why you weren't hired over me in the first place." David sighed as they left the room. They both knew it was best for Kimberly if they left her to rest. "If I'd just stayed in Paris, if we hadn't come back to the states none of this would have happened."

"You know as well as I do thinking like that doesn't help matters." She reminded him. "Cruger's like a dog with a bone when he's investigating a case. If anyone can find the information you're looking for, it's him."

"Dana, how is the patient?" Cruger's voce asked over her communicator.

"She's doing as well as can be expected." She answered. "I'd recommend she doesn't leave recovery for at least a couple of days."

"Could you ask David to come to the command centre?" He asked. "I could use his advice on something."

"I'll be right there Doggie." David told him. He turned back to Dana as he made to leave. "You were just saying?"

Cruger was standing by Ethan, checking over his shoulder at the screen he was working on.

"What can I help you with?" David asked.

"We've managed to get a partial decryption of some of the Kruchev's files." Cruger informed him. "They were apparently trading information with someone in Scotland in exchange for a substance designated as Tresivac." He turned to David, approaching him slowly. "We wanted to know if you knew what it is. It sounds like some kind of medication."

"It's an MMR vaccine." David informed him.

"What would the Kruchevs want with MMR vaccines?" Ethan asked.

David suddenly caught a brainwave. His memories shot back to that day all those years ago when his child had been brought into the surgery. "They're for the babies." He shrieked. "I told you how I found out about the operation because my daughter was brought into my surgery?"

"We do." Cruger stated.

"She was suffering from measles!" He slammed his hand onto the table. "They must have panicked when they realised Dr. Black was shipping the babies without immunising them."

"So they started immunising the kids themselves." Ethan whispered, finally grasping the concept.

"They had the medical records of the child they gave to Ulyanov." Cruger pointed out. "See if you can find any more medical records. If there's any who have suffered measles, mumps or rubella, highlight them immediately. After that, cross-reference them with the medical records of those still waiting for their children to be found."

"It'll take a few more hours." Ethan explained. "Guess I'll need to put on another pot of coffee."

"I can't believe I never thought about this before." David mumbled. "She had measles. We don't just have to look for children with genetic abilities; we can look for any reported cases of girls with measles."

"That might not narrow it down too much." Cruger interjected thoughtfully. "Many children…"

"Most children are vaccinated within the first few weeks." David interrupted. "My daughter was almost a year old when she came into the surgery. Children her age shouldn't have exhibited those symptoms."

"We'll look into it." Kat announced, beginning work on another computer. "If nothing else we can cross-reference that data with anything we find from the medical records Ethan releases from…"

"I AM GOD!" Ethan roared, jumping up with excitement, sending his computer chair flying. "WHO IS THE MAN?"

"What have you found?" Cruger asked him, coming back to the monitor.

"I've not unlocked all the files they have, but I have managed to unlock all the medical records." Ethan explained, quickly pulling them up. "They dealt with five kids, including the one Ulyanov had across the entire time frame."

"Is there any that might be my daughter?" David asked him.

Ethan checked the records carefully. "I'm sorry, but no." He sighed, suddenly a little crestfallen as he read them. "All the kids they handled were immunised. They only started receiving children four years ago."

"Dr. Black had already realised his error by then." Cruger voiced his theory. "I'm sorry David, I really am."

"It's my own fault for getting my hopes up." He grumbled. "I'm just glad Kimberly wasn't here. This could have killed her."

"We'll continue to do everything we can." Cruger re-assured him. "Ethan, is there any trace on where the Tresivac came from?"

"On the medical records it's listed as a local private hospital." He told them. "I've pulled up their inventory and it's showing up as coming from a pharmaceutical company in Glasgow."

"Their inventory?" Cruger asked. "How did you…?" He noted the shrug from the young computer whizz. "You know what? If I don't ask you, you can't tell me. I'm sure it's better that way."

"I've checked out the pharmaceutical company and, big surprise, it's bogus." Ethan continued. "But the payments lead back to a numbered account, which is accessed via a cell phone…"

"Ethan, don't tell us and there's no charges to answer." Cruger reminded him. "What's the five minute version?"

"The trail leads back to a man named Jack McArthur." Ethan concluded. "Kat, can you pull up a profile on him?"

"Ethan, I'm so far ahead of you it's not funny." Kat answered, projecting the profile up on the large screen. "He's an information broker, suspected on multiple counts of blackmail. Hundreds of high profile, very wealthy people pay regular donations into his many varied charities. He officially only earns a modest living from his nightclub in Glasgow's west end, but his lifestyle is anything but modest. Large houses in several areas, fancy cars…"

"We get the picture." Cruger told her. "I've heard the name before, Vladimir mentioned Jack McArthur in his interview. I think we can safely say he's Sassenach."

"So what's the plan?" David asked.

"I have an idea." Cruger stated. He picked up a communicator and spoke into it. "Myers, come to the command centre."

Eric arrived a short time later, clearly a little confused. He still had a few days to serve on his suspension. "What can I help you with Commander?" He asked.

"It's about those two teenagers who helped you in New Orleans." Cruger began. "One of them was from Glasgow wasn't he?"

"He was." Eric replied.

"Contact him; tell him to call the rest of his team. Tell them to get together in the New Tech City Plaza tomorrow." He commanded. "Arrange a time for a rendezvous and bring them here. I think they would be of great help to Kimberly and David."

"I will." He replied, pulling out his cell phone. "I'm sure they're more than up to the job."

Charisma was working her way through some sit-ups when her phone rang. Picking it up, she answered the call as she continued to exercise.

"You've got Charisma. Who is this?" She inquired.

"Charisma, it's Eric." He began. "We think you might be able to help Kimberly."

"Hold on a second." She told him, suddenly stopping. "Colin, it's Eric. He says there's something we can do to help Kimberly."

Colin came into the room, drying himself with a towel as he did so.

"Why do people always phone when I'm in the bath?" He grumbled, sitting on the bed.

"We're here." She continued, ignoring Colin's moaning.

"My Commanding Officer wants to meet you for a briefing." He told her. "Contact the other two members of your team, and assemble at the main plaza in New Tech City."

"Scott and Dippy are still in Vegas." She informed him. "We could probably make it for about 6PM."

"I'll pick you up from there." Eric concluded. "Thanks."

As Eric hung up, Charisma put away her phone. "He wants us to call Scott and Dippy and meet him in New Tech City."

"I guess we're packing." Colin responded, gently kissing the top of her head. "You call the others."

Serendipity, or 'Dippy' to her friends, was marking some homework assignments from the kids in the class she was assisting. She was just about to turn 18, having graduated high 

school early by being skipped forward a year but she was making such good progress in her teacher training course, Tommy had agreed to let her do a work placement as a classroom assistant during her time off between semesters. She flicked her long, bright blonde hair out of her face and smiled broadly as she saw the name on the caller ID.

"Charisma, how are you?" She shrieked with excitement. "I haven't heard from you in ages! Is everything OK?"

"Things are fine here." Charisma told her. "Where's Scott?"

"We've got a place together, but he's already cluttered up the spare room." She complained. "The twins are getting bigger, and Kira wanted Tommy to get rid of some of his souvenirs to get them separate rooms, so of course he managed to recruit Scott as his assistant historian."

"And of course Scott couldn't say no." Charisma chuckled. "Listen, we're being recruited for an important job. You know we had a wild time in New Orleans, right?"

"Yeah?" She inquired, a little concerned as to where this was going.

"Well it's something similar." She explained. "The guy we helped was one of the Silver Hills guys."

"Oh, right." Dippy answered, understanding the reference.

"He wants us to meet him in New Tech City Plaza at 6PM tomorrow for an important mission." She explained. "Think you guys can make it?"

"Scott's semester at college just finished and I'm on a work placement at the school." Dippy told her. "I'm sure Tommy could survive without me. We could get a flight down later tonight."

"Thanks Dippy." Charisma responded. "We'll see you there."

"Who was that?" Scott asked as he made his way in from the spare room that Tommy had convinced him to use as storage. He bent down, putting an arm around her shoulders, his heavily bandaged right hand hanging loosely at the end of his wrist.

"It was Charisma." Dippy answered him, kissing him gently on the cheek. "She wants us to meet her in New Tech City tomorrow. She says it's got something to do with what happened in New Orleans."

Scott smiled, his pronounced facial scar which ran from just under his nose to his ear showing a little more prominently. "At least this time they won't hog all the fun." He whispered gently. "You call Tommy about clearing your absence, I'll book the tickets."

The following day, Dippy and Scott were already waiting in the plaza as it came closer to 6PM.

"Where are they?" Scott groaned, looking again at his watch. "It's almost time."

"They'll be here." Dippy re-assured him. "You know how defensive Colin is of his bike, he probably just didn't want to leave it in storage."

At that, a powerful black motorcycle roared into view, parking up a short way from them. Charisma hopped off the pillion seat quickly, rushing over to her friends as she whipped off her helmet. "It's great to see you guys!" She yelled, accepting a hug from each of them. "What's new?"

"The twins have been running rings round me any time I babysit." Dippy answered. "And Scott's now hoarding all of Tommy's old garbage."

"It's not garbage!" He protested loudly. "It's like Dr. O always said, you never know what's going to happen. That's why I'm backing up all his archives and keeping all the stuff Mrs. O didn't want him to keep."

"Yes, but that's at the expense of space in OUR apartment." Dippy laughed. "How about you guys? We haven't heard much from you since New Orleans."

"Well, since then it's been pretty quiet." Charisma admitted as Colin arrived behind her.

"It's just not fair that you guys got some action and we didn't." Scott complained.

"It's not like we went looking for it." Colin told him, shaking his hand warmly. "We were just planning to get dunk for Mardi gras."

"One of us was." Charisma corrected him.

"Heads up guys," Colin said, pointing behind them, "This looks like our ride."

Eric pulled up in a black jeep with another man they hadn't met before. Pulling off his sunglasses, it was Scott who recognised him.

"Wes Collins!" He called out, shaking the man's hand. "I can't believe we're meeting you at last! Eric Myers! It's an honour."

"Hi Eric." Colin and Charisma chorused together, holding up a hand in greeting.

"Colin, Charisma, it's great to see you again." Eric interjected, extending his hand for a handshake. "You two must be Scott and Serendipity. It's a pleasure."

"Everyone calls me Dippy." Dippy answered as he shook his hand. "So you guys were...into jumpsuits like us?"

"We still are, in a way." Wes laughed at the euphemism. "Anyway, we really need to get you guys back to the base. We'll brief you there."

"What about my bike?" Colin asked as he gestured to the jeep. "I can't leave it here!"

"I'll take it." He told Colin. "Trust me; I've been riding for years."

Colin reluctantly handed over the keys before getting into the jeep. Eric took them on a quick drive through the city, ensuring they weren't followed.

"So we're helping Kimberly again." Charisma put down. "Wes asked you to bring us back?"

"No, the Base Commander did." Eric corrected her with a chuckle. "You'll like him. Listen to what he has to say."

"What's this about?" Scott asked.

"You didn't tell them?" Eric enquired.

"You said it was a security thing." Colin responded. "We only told them we were involved in blowing up the boat."

"We'll explain everything at the base." Eric told them. "We're almost there."

A short time later, they found themselves being driven through a tunnel, before coming out into a brightly-lit vehicle hanger that appeared to be made of thick, heavy armoured plating. They looked around in awe at the spectacle of the base as Eric pulled the vehicle to a stop.

"Welcome to Space Patrol Delta, Earth Base." Eric announced as he disembarked. The others followed suit, making sure to stick close as they made their way through the base. Eric lead them to an elevator and pressed the call button.

"What's Space Patrol Delta?" Colin asked.

"The short version is aliens are real." Eric explained. "Not only are they real, they emigrate like humans, only between planets. Like humans, sometimes the criminals emigrate too." He turned once more to face them. "SPD is a law enforcement agency with multi-galactic jurisdiction set up to combat criminal elements on a galactic basis."

"Are you serious?" Dippy asked.

"Yes, I am." Eric said assertively. The elevator arrived and he stepped aboard, allowing the others to get on, before inserting a security key into the mechanism, turning it and activating the top level button. "We've been setting up the earth base on a confidential basis for a few years now. Kimberly and her husband David have been involved with the project now on and off since it's inception."

"So why aren't you guys handling the case?" Charisma asked.

"On an official level, we still don't exist." He answered. "We wanted to bring you in because we believe you may be able to help Kimberly and David with an area of their investigation without attracting attention to SPD's activities."

"What investigation?" Scott asked. "What's going on?"

"Do you remember hearing about the Baby Theft Syndicate?" Eric asked.

"Yeah!" Dippy and Scott chorused together.

"Kimberly was one of the victims." Eric explained. "We believe we may have found a lead that may lead to her finding her daughter."

"Oh my god, she must be in bits!" Dippy shrieked, pulling close to Scott. He held her in his arms for comfort, more than a little taken aback himself.

They arrived in the command centre, stepping out to find Cruger standing before them.

"Soulfire Rangers, Welcome to SPD." He greeted them.

"Did the big blue dog just talk?" Dippy asked.

"We spent a year fighting daemons and we're brought to the headquarters of an intergalactic police force and this is the strangest thing you've seen?" Colin remarked.

"As you are aware, I am not human." Cruger told them. "Now, listen carefully while I brief you. We have tracked one of the men who sold the stolen babies to Glasgow, Scotland."

"Oh great!" Colin groaned. "I take it that's why I'm here."

"The man involved is this man." He continued, clicking a remote and bringing an image on a large viewing screen.

"This can't be happening." Colin remarked, shaking his head and turning away.

"What is it?" Charisma asked, clearly concerned for his welfare.

"That's Jack McArthur." Colin told her. "Yvonne's father." He made his way over towards the monitor, staring at the man's image in shock. "He's the reason I left home."

"He was also involved in the case." Cruger interjected. "He may be able to help us locate the missing children."

"Does he have to do this?" Dippy asked. "He's clearly not up to..."

"Dippy, I have to go." Colin interrupted. "I know that slimy old snake better than anyone, and if you go up against him without knowing who and what he is, you'll come out the loser."

"He doesn't look so dangerous." Scott remarked, looking at the stout, aging, grey-haired man on the screen.

"He knows people who are." Colin told them. "But he's most dangerous when he knows about you. He trades in information and secrets. Blackmail's his main tool of power. Once he knows something about you, he owns you." He turned once more to face the assembled group. "And he never lets go of anything he owns."


	8. Should Old Acquaintance

The four teenagers accompanied David on the flight over to the UK. Colin sat uneasily on his seat, unable to sleep. He envied Charisma, who had managed to drift off not long after take-off. He'd managed to charm one of the air hostesses into serving him a Bloody Mary, despite it being a couple of months before his 21st birthday, but it still didn't make him feel any better. It had now been over two years since his parents had put him on a plane to the states to get him away from Jack McArthur, but now he found he was going back, and he was not looking forward to the occasion. David was making his way to the bathroom when he noticed Colin attempting to take his mind off the journey ahead by watching the movie, but it was obvious that the plastic, disposable romance was the furthest thing from his mind.

"I take it you're not looking forward to going home." David commented, taking a seat across from him.

"You could say that." Colin replied, continuing to sip away on his drink. "I left right after Callum's trial."

"Callum, he's Jack's son isn't he?" David asked.

"I was ordered by the court to testify against him." Colin continued. "Someone else took the rap for killing Yvonne, and half a dozen witnesses backed up the story." He sighed as he remembered the outcome of the trial. "Jack paid off the other guy to do the time on Callum's behalf. Callum got off on a minor assault charge. Both he and his dad let me know in no uncertain terms what would happen."

"So you left right after the trial." David concluded the story.

"I haven't been back since." He sighed deeply. "Mum and Dad insisted I leave for my own safety, so they sent me to live with my uncle Al. Callum was only sentenced to a couple of months; he'll be out by now."

"Do you really think they'll still be after you?" David asked.

"As far as Jack's concerned it's my fault Yvonne's dead." Colin replied. "To Jack, I may as well have stuck that knife her chest myself."

"I'm sorry you have to face all this again." David said apologetically, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I really wish there was another way."

"Trust me Dr. Goodman, so do I." Colin whispered. "It's like I said, I couldn't let you come not knowing what Jack's like. He's not someone to take lightly."

"What about Callum?" David asked.

"We used to be friends." Colin told him. "We met on the street racing circuit, that's how I ended up meeting with Jack. When they found out about me and Yvonne, the whole relationship went south fast."

"I would have thought he'd be happy." David remarked. "You already said you were friends."

"The thing is Jack's a self-made man." Colin explained. "He grew up in a rough area, the kind of area where you know from the day you're born that you have two choices. Accept your fate and live your entire life in the gutter, or claw your way out any way you can."

"So he took the latter choice." David surmised.

"He's been involved in organised crime since he was fifteen." Colin continued. "He started off as an errand boy, and then he started making friends and gathering favours. He'd bought his nightclub by the time he was 28."

"So where do his kids fit into the story?" David asked him.

"Callum was my best friend, but even I can say he was never the sharpest tool in the shed." Colin told him. "Jack knew that too and inducted him into the family business. Yvonne though was the apple of his eye." Colin moved a little closer on his seat to carry on the tale. "She was always really smart. Jack insisted she shouldn't end up living the same life as him and his son, so he encouraged her to study hard. He had high hopes she'd get out of Glasgow and make something of herself. When he found out I was in the picture, he was worried she'd stick around for me and end up being dragged down. He told me in no uncertain terms the relationship was to end. When Callum found out about us, he felt like I'd betrayed them. He was planning to take me out of the picture one way or another."

"Do you really think he would have killed you?" David asked him.

"He wasn't carrying a knife for fun." Colin answered.

David tapped him warmly on the shoulder before continuing to the bathrooms. He really hated having to drag him into this, but if Jack was as bad as he said, he knew that Colin's knowledge would be invaluable, and for the sake of finding his daughter, he knew he had to do anything he could.

Kimberly awoke in the recovery room, finding the room empty. She'd hoped David would be there to greet her when she woke up, but she was alone in the room with her thoughts. She knew Doggie and the others were analysing some of the data they'd recovered from the Russians, and she knew there was a chance that they'd have found out something and progressed without her. She threw herself back down onto the pillows and slammed her fists into the bed clothing in frustration. She hated the weakness inflicted on her by her medical condition. She wanted so badly to be out there with her husband, following up any lead, no matter how weak, and here she was lying in bed having once again hyperventilated.

"How are you feeling Mrs. Goodman?" Dana asked her as she returned to the room.

"Like a million bloody dollars!" She hissed sarcastically.

"I could get you something to help you sleep." Dana suggested.

"Like my husband and daughter?" She asked. "Just leave me alone."

"Mrs. Goodman, getting upset isn't going to help." Dana stated, placing her clip board at the foot of the bed and taking her hand gently. "The sooner your vitals return to normal, the sooner I can release you."

"Just…please, go somewhere else." Kimberly snapped. "I really just want to be by myself."

"I'll be back in a couple of hours." Dana said softly as she got up to leave. "Just try to stay calm; you really don't need a re-lapse."

As Dana left the room, Kimberly turned onto her side and tried to get back to sleep, but was unable to because of the one thought on her mind. Why did people always tell her to stay calm when they knew that was the last thing she'd be able to do?

The plane touched down in Glasgow International Airport early the following morning. Glasgow's familiar early-morning damp, cold air greeted them, unpleasant, though at the same time strangely invigorating and energising, bringing them into full consciousness from their sleepy state as they made their way down onto the tarmac. Colin looked around; taking in the sight he thought he'd never see again.

"This is it guys." Colin quipped, panning his arms across the horizon. "Home, sweet home."

"God, it's cold!" Scott grumbled as he pulled his coat tighter and cuddling into Dippy for warmth.

"Stop complaining." Colin groaned. "We're on the same line of latitude as Moscow, it's only because of the Gulf Stream we aren't frozen in 9 months of the year, you should be grateful."

"I'll be grateful when we get inside." Dippy interjected, visibly shivering.

"Wimps." Colin joked, making his way towards the arrivals lounge.

They made their way quickly through the arrivals lounge, collecting their luggage from the carousel. As they made their way through into the main terminal, Dippy looked around, taking in the hordes of people.

"I thought Scotland was a small country." She commented.

"It is." Colin explained. "Even so, there are approximately 6 million people in Scotland, almost 1.2 million of whom live right here in Glasgow."

"So where are we heading?" Charisma asked him, gently taking Colin's hand as they made their way outside.

"David booked us into a b and b slightly out from the city centre." Colin began, hailing a Hackney style taxi. "We'll all head there and then we can talk more about how we plan to proceed."

"Personally I like to get in a little night life when I get into town." Charisma put down. "Fancy a little clubbing?"

"We can't." Scott grumbled. "We're underage."

"You're not in Scotland." Colin informed him as they clambered into the waiting vehicle. "The legal age of consumption here is 18."

"How much do I love this country?" Scott responded with a broad smile. None of them noticed a man a short way down the pavement taking down the details of the taxi and relaying them across his cell phone.

Jack McArthur was sitting in the office in his nightclub, looking down through the two-way mirror that allowed him to survey the floor from the peace and quiet of his grossly extravagant office. Thick, lilac carpet covered the entire 20' by 20' office, which had been decorated with an eclectic mix of soft furnishings and glass coffee tables. Usually Jack used this space to conduct business, but on rare occasions he would open it us as a sort of V.I.P. lounge, where he would lure the cities' movers and shakers into a false sense of security before using the footage from the many video cameras to catch them at their most vulnerable, just one of many of his scams to acquire power over the wealthy and influential. He noticed his phone ringing, interrupting his concentration on today's business.

"This better be important." He snapped aggressively.

"I think you're going to be very interested to know who just got back into town." The man on the other end drawled casually.

"Is that you Peter?" Jack asked. "This better be good, or I'm doubling your next repayment."

"The McDougall kid just landed at the airport maybe ten minutes ago." He informed the older man.

"Are you sure?" Jack quizzed him. "If this is a joke, I'll show you how good my sense of humour is."

"I think I remember the guy who cleaned up at the races every week for a year." Peter retorted. "He just got into a burgundy Hackney heading for the city. The badge number…"

"I'll be able to track him from that." Jack told him. "Forget this month's payment. Thanks for the tip." As he hung up, a little smirk came to his face. "Callum!"

His son was, as usual, doing nothing of any real value. He lay on a leather couch, reading a motorcycle magazine to pass the time. He dipped the magazine to look at his father. "What's up now dad?" He asked.

"Your sister's ex just turned up in town." Jack informed him. "I think it's time we welcomed him home."

Colin and the others arrived at their modest accommodation a short time later, quickly abandoning their luggage in their respective rooms before assembling in Colin's room.

"Are you guys really sure we want to just walk into Jack's club?" David asked. "I mean, if he is that dangerous…"

"Never perform ablutions in your own back yard." Colin interrupted him. "Jack knows that better than anyone. He'd never start anything in his club."

"I suppose it's probably the best plan we have at the moment." Charisma responded. "We need to turn up and shake him up a little. We'll head in there tonight."

"Not all of us." David interrupted. "We need to hedge our bets unless something goes wrong. We should go in two groups. A couple of us should just lay low in the club just in case."

"I need to go to his office." Colin stated coldly. "If I don't, Jack's not going to talk to anyone here."

"I should go too." David suggested. "You guys are doing this for me; I really should be there to hear what he has to say."

"Well I'll go too." Charisma put down. "Scott, Dippy, you guys just watch the floor. We may want to get out in a hurry. You two be ready to clear us a path."

"We'll be ready." Scott told her. "So when does the club open? I just saw a pizza van across the street, and it's given me the biggest appetite."

They suddenly found their attention being diverted by the door knocking loudly.

"Who's there?" Charisma asked.

"Welcome wagon!" A familiar voice sounded from the other side. The others could see from the look on Colin's face he knew exactly who was there.

"It's Callum." He whispered. "Scott, Dippy, go into the bathroom and wait there."

After the other two hid, Colin answered the door, being greeted by his former friend.

"It's been a long time Callum." He remarked, seeing the young man in front of him. He was a little taller than Colin, but considerably larger and more muscular. His skin was dark, tanned by his frequent visits to the tanning salons across the city. He had short, jet black hair styled into an almost military style crew cut which did nothing to soften his cold facial features and dark eyes. He stood before them in a tight-fitting t-shirt and designer jeans which barely concealed expensive motorcycle boots. "You've been working out."

"There's not much to do in Barlinie." He replied coldly. "I had a lot of time on my hands to lift weights."

"Why are you here?" Colin asked him.

"I could ask you the same question." Callum replied with a sneer. "I would have thought you'd be glad to see the back of all of us."

"Believe me, coming back was not high on my 'to do' list." He replied. "We have some important business to discuss with your dad."

Callum brushed past him into the apartment and began circling Charisma ominously. She clenched her fists and tensed up as he made his way behind her, gently stroking her hair. She swung round, swiping away his hand.

"Don't touch me!" She barked, rounding on him.

"Fiery little thing aren't you Charisma?" He laughed sarcastically as he stepped back a little.

"How do you know my name?" She asked.

"Oh come on Colin, you don't really think we stopped keeping tabs on you just because you up and left town do you?" Callum responded. "We know all about you and your little group of friends. Which is why I'm wondering, if your flight schedule lists five passengers, then why are there only three of you here?"

"The other two have gone out for a little while." Colin lied, trying to bring Callum's attention back to himself and away from Charisma. "It's just us here."

"That would be Scott and Serendipity right?" Callum asked, placing a hand on Charisma's arm. Again, she swiped him away. Colin gave her a glance that served to discourage her from making a move on Callum. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that he would not have come alone. "The funny thing is the guy we've had waiting outside since you arrived hasn't seen anyone leave." Scott and Dippy took this as all the indication they needed that it was pointless to continue hiding and re-entered the bedroom.

"Touch me again, and you'll have no future as a family man." Charisma hissed at him, beginning to slowly turn in place to make sure she kept him in view at all times. "Am I making myself clear?"

"Leave her be." Colin interjected, bringing Callum's attention back to him. "Your problem's with me."

"If you are all here to see my father, then my problem is with all of you." Callum retorted with a snort, coming now face to face with Colin. "I see it didn't take you long to get over my sister."

"It took long enough." Colin answered.

"You're quite an attractive girl." Callum piped up, turning back again towards Charisma. "If I were you, I'd give this guy a miss. He doesn't hang onto girlfriends real well. It's probably safer if you find someone else."

"Callum, I know there are probably half a dozen guys waiting outside in case anything kicks off, so I'll choose my words very carefully." He warned him, glaring straight into his eyes. "If anything happens to her, by the time I'm finished with you, you won't be dead. But believe me when I say, you will sincerely wish you were."

"I'm just giving her some friendly advice." Callum replied, turning to head out of the door. "I wouldn't want anything unpleasant to happen to her, would you? My father is expecting you in his office at 8PM. All of you come. If any of you aren't there, then the deal's off. Colin knows what happens to people who break meetings with my dad, he only makes one invitation, and he finds it rude when people are late." He stopped just as he reached the door and turned once more to face them. "Oh, one more thing, someone will be watching the door at all times and relay any movements to us. If you value your safety, I suggest you don't try anything cute."

"So what do we do now?" Dippy asked, watching Callum leave the room.

"I guess we wait." Scott grumbled.

Back in New Tech City, Kimberly was unable to remain in the recovery room any longer, and gave up on the concept of resting. Pulling on some clothes, she left the room before Dana could return on her rounds and made her way to the crèche, satisfying herself that Joe was sound asleep in the guest bed. She never even noticed Wes arriving behind her.

"You're still supposed to be in recovery." He announced, causing her to jump a little.

"Sneak up on someone suffering panic attacks, great idea Wes." Kimberly grumbled as she turned to face him.

"I wasn't exactly sneaking." Wes chuckled, noting her reaction. "You were miles away."

"I take it David and the others have gone." Kimberly surmised.

"You were still under when they left." Wes told her apologetically. "We didn't think you'd be up to it."

"Wes, I really want to go." Kimberly sighed. "I really hate being cut out of the loop."

"We're doing what we think is best." Wes continued, placing a hand gently on her shoulder and stroking it softly. "That last attack gave us one hell of a scare."

"How do you think I feel?" Kimberly asked him. "Wes, could you take me out there?"

"I really don't think that's a good idea." He whispered.

"Wes, I need to go." She shot back. "Please! At least if you take me, you know I'll get there quickly and safely."

"You're going if I take you or not, aren't you?" He pressed on.

"I have a lot of air miles." She responded.

Wes just stared at the ceiling and let out a long groan. "Doggie's so going to have my arse for this." He grumbled. "I know I'm going to regret this, but I'll take you in the VTOL."

"Thanks Wes." She rushed out, heading back to her dorm. "I'll just get my bag."

"This does not seem like a good idea." Wes groaned. "Why is it always me?"

Back in Glasgow, the assembled party waited in the bed and breakfast until they heard another chap on the door. Answering the door, Scott was confronted by a large man dressed in black denims and T-shirt.

"I take it this is our ride." Scott commented.

"It looks like it." Colin responded.

As they all made to leave, the man held up a hand to stop them. "He only wants to see you three." He told them, gesturing to Colin, Charisma and David. "The two of you have to remain here under observation."

"He's splitting us up." Charisma whispered quietly. "What should we do?"

"We don't have much of a choice." David replied, making his way out the door.

"Have a fun night." The driver told them. "Maybe you should order a pizza."

With that, they left, leaving Scott and Dippy alone in the room together. Scott began looking around.

"Are you looking for a way out?" She asked.

"The others will need our support when the time comes." Scott told her. "The only way that can happen is if we can somehow spring ourselves from this place."

"There's only one main entrance." Dippy reminded him. "If we go out that way we'll be caught."

"No doubt the others would be killed." Scott concluded. He then began looking at the small fireplace in the corner, inspecting it carefully. He dragged a finger across the bottom, inspecting the soot on his finger.

"I think the chimney's a bit small," Dippy interjected, "even for me."

"The Santa Claus route wasn't what I had in mind." He replied, looking out the window. "Say Dippy, how long does it take to deliver a pizza?" He asked her.

"About five minutes once the driver arrives." She replied. "Why?"

"The van across the street's been there since we arrived." He replied. "I think we know who our babysitters are."

"So, let's hear the rest of this plan." Dippy chimed in.

"From that angle they won't be able to see through the window." Scott commented. "There's a guard outside the door, but other than that, they're relying on seeing us go out the front door. So, let's go out the back."

"There isn't a back door." She reiterated the point.

"Trust me." He replied, wiping the soot off his finger on the bed clothes. "I've got it all figured out."

Colin, Charisma and David were shown into Jack's office, being brought before his desk. Callum was standing a short distance away, casually sipping a cocktail as they approached.

"That's quite close enough." Jack commanded, stopping them in their tracks. He held up a newspaper with the headline, 'New Orleans Senatorial candidate in explosive drugs bust.' "I know the two of you don't have much respect for property, and I really would like to avoid collateral damage."

"What do you want Jack?" Colin asked. "I know you too well to know that you wouldn't have gone to all this trouble if you didn't want to discuss business."

"I just wanted to see you and catch up." He taunted him. "You didn't call or write I was beginning to think you'd never repay what you owe me."

"I owe you nothing Jack." Colin snapped. "Yvonne's death was nothing to do with me."

He picked up his cane and twisted the handle, pulling a long, thin blade from it and held the point to Colin's throat.

"You are not fit to speak of her." He spat aggressively. "This is the first and last time I'll warn you. I see what she meant to you; after all you've already replaced her with…"

Charisma was about to lunge at him, but was stopped at a gesture from one of the bodyguards in the room, indicating he was armed.

"She's a feisty one, I'll give her that." Jack responded. "Maybe she should be kept on a leash."

"Just try it pal!" She spat with venom in her tone. One of the guards grabbed David from behind, holding a knife to his throat.

"Callum, take her to your place and keep her there until I call you." Jack instructed him. "She'll do nicely as a guarantee that Colin will race."

As Charisma was lead from the room, knowing that if she tried anything it was likely that the instruction would be given to execute Scott and Dippy. She left without a protest, but was clearly not happy with the situation she was in. Colin, however, was just becoming more confused.

"That's it?" Colin shrieked a little taken aback. "You want me to race?"

"There's a big stakes race on the Broomielaw run, your favourite stretch." Jack informed him. "The South Siders have been trying to make inroads into my area of the city for months. So I made them a little wager. One race, Dylan's club for mine, winner take all."

"So you want me to ride for you." Colin concluded.

"You've said it yourself; you're unbeatable on that run." He continued. "Once that race is over, I'll let you go back to whatever pathetic excuse of a life you've made for yourself. Also remember, we've got your friends at the B + B, your lovely young girlfriend is being taken care of by my son, and the good doctor here will be under my watchful eye. There's no way you'll be able to spring all of them in time if you decide to betray us. Remember that."

"I want something in return Jack!" He snapped in response. "We came here to find out about baby thefts. Dr. Goodman here is looking for his daughter."

"What makes you think…?"

"Sassenach." Colin interrupted him. Jack stopped in his tracks, his expression cold as he heard him use the code name. "It means lowlander, and since you came from Glasgow, technically you're a lowlander. Not too original Jack."

"You should know better than to play the secrets game with me Colin." Jack responded. "I know all about your little adventures since you left town. Like I said, I've been keeping a close eye on you in case you came back."

"You can't hold New Orleans over me." Colin told him. "There's no evidence…"

"I wasn't meaning that." Jack responded, throwing a few pictures on the desk. Colin could barely breathe as he saw them. "I was referring to your little fetish for blue lycra."


	9. Hit the Road Jack

David sat on a leather couch in Jack's office as a waitress served him a Manhattan. He had to admit that even though he was a hostage, he was being treated remarkably well. If it hadn't been for the threats against the lives of himself and his newfound friends, he'd probably be enjoying himself.

"This screen is wired into the CCTV network around the city." Jack explained, sitting down himself and switching on the large, plasma screen television mounted on the wall. "We'll be able to see how your young friend fares in the race."

"I'm sure he'll be fine." David answered, accepting the drink.

"He had better be." Jack replied. "I am not going to lose this race."

"You know, you really shouldn't gamble if you're not willing to lose." David responded dryly, taking a sip.

"Who said anything about losing?" Jack asked him. "I still have more muscle behind me than the South Siders. Of course if I win, then they lose the majority of their finance, and their main avenue of laundering the proceeds of their other activities which will force them to use my operation, and pay me commission."

"So what happens to us if Colin loses?" David asked.

"You know, a lot of people disappear in the Clyde." Jack told him. "The currents are really quite strong. Sometimes they don't wash ashore until they hit Largs."

"Are you comfortable over there?" Callum asked sarcastically. Charisma never bothered to answer him, simply flashing him a rude hand gesture, before beginning to rub her ankle again. Callum had padlocked a length of chain around her left ankle, before securing the other end to the radiator in his living room when he had gotten her back to his apartment. The gesture was probably unnecessary, she knew that the others would probably be killed if she tried to escape, and Callum appeared to be having some form of pre-race party with about half a dozen of his friends. Even if she could free herself and disable Callum, she knew that at least one of them would probably call Jack. "Don't worry the rest of the guys here will keep you company while I go to the race. I wouldn't want your man to get lonely out on the course."

He picked up a bottle of champagne, coming over beside her and sitting down nearby. "You know, this would go a whole lot more comfortably if you dropped the attitude. Would you like something to drink?"

"I don't drink." She told him bluntly.

"Oh, I doubt one would hurt." He responded. "This stuff is nearly two hundred quid a bottle. It's good, give it a try." He shifted a little closer, placing an arm around her shoulders. "You know, if I had a girl like you, she could expect the good things in life, and she definitely wouldn't end up chained to a radiator."

"I'll speak more slowly so you can understand." She said condescendingly, throwing his arm off and turning to face him. "I…don't…drink!"

"Well how would you know if you like it unless you try?" He asked gesturing to a couple of his friends to come over. "Hold her down."

She struggled as the others held her down, but to no avail. Callum grabbed her face roughly forcing her lips open before pouring some of the liquid into her mouth. He then held a hand over her mouth and clamped her nose shut, forcing her to swallow. Charisma coughed loudly as they released her, the back of her throat still recovering from the impact of the enforced gulp of the sour, fizzy liquid.

"Well, it's a lot more enjoyable if you drink it slowly." He taunted her. "Just so I know, are you and Colin…"

"That's none of your goddam business." She snapped, still spluttering a little from the champagne assault.

"Actually I was going to ask if you were married." He asked.

"No." Charisma answered him, wondering where he was going with this questioning.

"That's just as well." Callum told her. "At least we won't be making you a widow."

"You're going to kill him if he loses?" Charisma asked.

"Yes." Callum said with the same nonchalance he's talk about furniture. "Of course, we're going to kill him if he wins. He still owes us for what happened to my sister."

"So it's HIS fault that YOU stabbed her?" Charisma asked. Callum suddenly flashed red, before brining the back of his hand sharply across her face. She stroked her cheek gently, assessing the welt forming slightly below her eye. "You really are looking for a five star ass kicking when I get out of this, aren't you?"

Callum gave her an arrogant smirk, and poured some champagne over her head. "Watch her while I'm at the race." He instructed his friends. "Nobody touch her until I get back."

As he gathered his heavy leather jacket and left, Charisma surveyed her situation for an opportunity to escape. Colin was probably hoping that they would be released if he won, but she now knew that one way or another, he was going to be killed. She needed to warn him.

The guard standing outside Scott and Dippy's room checked his watch again, noticing that only a few minutes had passed since he'd last checked the time. He sighed loudly as he cursed his misfortune at being given this job. Time had almost seemed to stand still, and he was going out of his mind with boredom. He heard a knocking on the door from inside the room attracting his attention.

"Keep it down in there." He shouted, banging on the door violently. A short time later, the door knocked again.

"I said shut up!" He shouted, hammering on the door again.

The door sounded a third time, driving his patience beyond breaking point.

"I warned you." He yelled, moving over to the door. Dippy, saw the light under the door being broken as he moved over.

"Now!" She called out. Scott lunged at the door with a powerful kick, breaking the lock and smashing the door open straight into the guard's face. As he tried to get back up, Scott caught him under the jaw with a vicious kick, knocking him out cold.

"Here are the keys." Dippy called out, grabbing them from his pocket. "Get him into the broom closet."

She unlocked the closet as Scott picked up the unconscious guard, dumping him inside. She locked the door behind him, trapping him inside. "Free the owner. I'll see about getting us out." Scott rushed out as he headed down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I'm taking the other way out." He told her. "Time to get a little messy."

Wes landed the VTOL a short way outside town to avoid anyone spotting it. As he shut down the engines, he turned to Kimberly. "Are you really sure about this?" He asked.

"I need to know what's going on." She told him. "I need to see the others.

"Well if I can't talk you out of it, I suppose I better help you." He sighed, conceding defeat on the matter. He handed her some car keys. "There's a jeep in the back, take it." He then handed her a small, white plastic box. Opening it a little, she gasped as she realised what was inside.

"There are instructions on how to use them inside." He told her.

"Thanks Wes." She breathed gently, hugging her long-term friend. "I hope you don't get into too much trouble."

"Just bring everything back in one piece before the big dog notices." He replied. "Do you have the address?"

"I know it." She responded, heading into the back. "Take care."

"You too Kimberly." He shouted as she drove off. Certain he was now out of earshot, he activated his communicator. "Everything happened just like you predicted. She's taken the care package with her."

"Head back to base." Cruger responded. "We'll hear soon enough what the outcome is."

With that, Wes fired up the VTOL and headed for home, hoping that everything would be alright with Kimberly and the others.

Callum arrived at the Tall Ships, finding Colin already waiting for the other racers. "I see you're ready to go." He said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Colin brushed it off quickly.

"I'm doing this for my friends." He told him. "You told me we're even when this is done."

"Are you saying you don't trust me?" Callum asked him.

"To be brutally honest, no, I don't." Colin replied, glaring into his eyes. "My friends and I go free after the race, unharmed and untouched. That's what we agreed."

"Colin, I promise you. If you win this race, your problems with us are over." Callum retorted as he circled Colin's bike. "Do you like the adjustments we've made since you left?"

"Not really." Colin stated. "The bike always could do with being a bit lighter, but you know I hate nitrous."

"It'll give you a little extra oomph on the straights." Callum began. "You'll really feel the benefit when you hit the Kingston Bridge."

"It also vastly increases the chanced of blowing out the engine." Colin snapped. "I doubt that will help my chances of winning. That's why I refused to use nitrous when I was racing for Jack."

"Well it's not your choice anymore." Callum informed him. "Either you can get on the bike and maybe die, or don't and definitely die." He pulled a little closer. "Of course I'll be there to comfort Charisma if anything should go wrong."

Callum laughed insincerely as Colin snatched his helmet from him, starting the engine. Callum got on his own bike and took his place on the grid. The bookmaker approached Colin.

"New racers have to go to the back of the grid." He told him. "The positions were decided by last month's race. Since you didn't compete, you're starting dead last."

"It figures my luck's going the same as always." Colin grumbled, riding to the back of the grid. "This is going to be one long night."

The two goons sitting in the bogus pizza van outside the B + B were becoming as bored as their comrade inside had been.

"I spy with my little eye, something beginning with C." One of them groaned.

Suddenly, a large, black rock smashed the windscreen. The two men disembarked and looked around for the culprit. One of them saw the offending missile and bent down, picking it up.

"Coal?" He asked, slightly confused. Suddenly, his comrade collapsed on the ground in front of him unconscious. Scott began to round on his opponent, but the other man quickly regained his feet and levelled a pistol in his direction.

"Not bad kid." He commented. He looked at Scott thoughtfully for a second. His clothes and skin were covered in a black, grimy mess. "You climbed out through the coal chute. That was pretty clever. Shame it means we'll have to kill you both."

Suddenly, a bright energy blast knocked the gun from his hand. Quickly afterwards, a bright pink streak rushed past, and he fell to the ground unconscious.

Dippy arrived behind him from the house a short time later. "I guess we're getting some back up." She commented, looking around for their mystery saviour. "Come on, I know where they're holding Charisma."

"How did you find that out?" Scott asked her.

"The guy in the closet's claustrophobic. He started freaking out when he came to." She answered. "How did you get in such a mess?"

"The fireplace was a coal fire." Scott informed her. "I knew they'd have a coal cellar, which I could use to get out the back."

"Why didn't I figure that out?" She wondered. Suddenly, a strange figure appeared down the road a short way from where they stood. Scott looked at the new arrival thoughtfully.

"You've got to be kidding me." He gasped.

As the starter waved the flag, Colin immediately gunned the engine, blasting his way off the starting position, heading around the back of the North Rotunda, shaving past a few of the slower riders as he flew up the off-ramp onto the dual carriageway, white-lining through traffic coming in the opposite direction. He'd raced this course many times in the past, and knew that this approach always shaved a couple of seconds off the route. Seeing a small gap, he flipped the bike onto the correct side of the road, before opening up the throttle fully, leaving the back-fielders far behind in his wake.

'Only five more left.' He thought to himself as he ascended the Kingston Bridge. 'I just hope I have enough grunt left in this thing.'

Looking down at the handle bars, he noticed the red button, his thumb hovering over it for a few seconds. 'Shame you only live once.' He thought, as he activated the nitro, blasting the bike forward with an incredible rush of power.

Jack was sipping his cocktail as thoughts rushed through his mind about his captor. He placed his glass down on the table.

"Can I ask you a question?" He asked.

"If you like." He answered, as he continued to watch the race.

"I know you're not going to tell me anything about where the babies ended up." He began, shifting on the couch. "Just answer me this much. Were all the babies you took given an MMR?"

"Of course they were." He told him matter-of-factly. "It was only the Canadians and the Americans that got caught out that way."

"How did you predict that this would happen?" He asked.

"Dr. Black wanted to ship the babies as quickly as possible." He replied. "It was a simple matter of greed getting ahead of forethought. He had a couple of near-misses in the early days." He set down his own glass and turned to face David. "What's your interest in all this? Did you lose a child?"

"The son of a bitch sold my daughter." David replied.

"I take it you were quite happy when he was shot." Jack surmised. "I doubt many tears were shed for him."

"Personally I'd have preferred it if he'd lived." David stated. "Then it wouldn't have taken us so long to track down the ones we have."

"Oh, so you're the one who brought down the Kruchevs." He remarked with a smirk. "I'm impressed."

David found his temper rising as he spoke with the man. He knew that none of the babies he sold were handled by McArthur, but that still didn't ease his anger. "How could you do it?" He hissed through his clenched teeth. "You have kids yourself! How could you be involved in something like that?"

"The profit margins made sleeping at night easier." He replied.

"Those are people's kids!" He roared. "You played god with people's lives for money! Do you have any idea what we've been through?"

"I know how painful it is to lose a child." He answered. "My daughter meant the world to me."

"At least you got the closure of burying her." David snapped. "My wife's been through hell because of people like you!"

Jack turned back towards the screen and continued to watch the race.

Charisma sat, observing her captors as she considered her options. They'd now been drinking for quite a while, and she was sure she could use that against them.

"Could I have some of that champagne?" She asked.

"Re-considering the no drinking policy?" One of the men shouted across the room.

"It's not like I have anything else to do." She responded. One of the men came over, holding a glass, handing it to her. She took the glass and drank a mouthful, before spitting it back straight in his face. He grabbed his shirt and pulled him forward, kneeing him hard in the groin. One of the others held a set of keys up for her to see.

"Nice idea, but wrong gaoler." He taunted her. "I think we should let Mark teach her a little lesson in manners."

Charisma caught the first one across the face with a huge punch, but the others grabbed her and wrestled her to the floor, before beginning to lay into her with heavy kicks. Suddenly the door flew open, and three strangers entered the room.

"Who the hell are they?" One of them asked.

"Who the hell cares?" One of his accomplices asked in return, raising his hands. "In case you haven't noticed, they appear to be armed."

"You've got to be kidding me." Charisma wheezed, trying to get back some of her breath as one of the strangers came over and released her, before pressing a small device into her hand.

"We'll explain once we've gift-wrapped these clowns." A familiar voice told her.

Colin had just rounded an old school, indicating the half-way point in the race before he opened up the throttle and blasted into fourth place, heading back towards the city centre. He knew he didn't have much time left to advance his position, and they were now going to be heading through the streets as opposed to the comparatively wide and clear motorway. He looked at the flashing light on the handle bars, indicating that the nitrous system was still cooling down, and so he couldn't rely on it for the extra speed to kick him up the field.

'Callum's up ahead.' Colin thought to himself. 'He should just let me through.' Sure enough, Callum pulled in a little and waved him past. He knew that Colin's winning was an investment for his dad, and that he wouldn't have to wait too much longer to get his revenge. 'Two more left.'

They roared through the Saltmarket area, before turning right onto Broomilaw, onto the final straight heading back towards the finish line outside the Tall Ships. Colin felt his spirits lift as he saw the rider in second place coming into view. 'Guess this is still possible.' He thought. As he attempted to overtake, he saw a small child running into the middle of the road, heading for an ice-cream truck. He could see that the other rider was looking at him and was about to hit the kid. Thinking quickly, he kicked the opposing bike as hard as he could, sending it swerving safely aside. His opponent struggled to regain control, but failed, ultimately striking the safety railing and catapulting himself into the Clyde.

"He'll feel that tomorrow." Colin said to himself, before pulling his attention back to the race. The leader was obviously as familiar as he was on the track, because he noticed him taking the shortcut through the taxi rank of the hotel by the Clyde Auditorium. Colin threw the bike through, narrowly missing a now-terrified and very unhappy luggage porter.

"Sorry!" He yelled back. Seeing the finish line a short way off, he noticed that at last the nitrous system had cooled enough to fire it up. Blasting forward, he narrowly edged past the leader, claiming the first place spot, much to the delight of McArthur's goons, and the disappointment of the South Siders. He skidded to a halt by the safety rail and hopped off the bike, pulling off his helmet.

"Still undefeated." He breathed in a sigh of relief. "God I'm glad I'm retired."

Callum arrived a short time later with the other racers. He came over towards Colin, reaching behind his back. "You did it." He said cheerfully. "Now, just like I said. Your problems with us are over." He pulled out his bowie knife, lunging straight for him, only to pull back when a storm of energy blasts struck the ground between them. Colin looked for the source of the blasts before seeing his saviours walking towards him. "You've got to be kidding." He breathed. He couldn't believe his eyes, and had to do a double take, but they were still there. "Power Rangers?"

"Oh this isn't good." Callum commented, getting down on his knees and held his hands behind his head. The rest of his party did the same while the other racers just took the opportunity to leave.

"We still have to get David." The pink Ranger said in Kimberly's voice. "Get some rope off that ship and tie them up. We can't let them get word to Jack about this."

"Mrs. Goodman?" Colin whispered low, so only she could hear him as the others began tying up Callum and his guards. She nodded to confirm his suspicions. "So who are the rest of them?"

"Who do you think?" She asked. Colin looked at the knife Callum had dropped on the ground, and immediately remembered it from that fateful night.

"You kept the knife?" He asked. "The cops said they never found it."

"It seemed appropriate that it would send you to meet her." Callum told him.

"Well I'm sure once the cops get here, this'll give them a very interesting night." Colin retorted, turning to leave.

"You'll pay Colin." Callum yelled. "You'll pay for what happened to Yvonne."

"I have been paying." Colin roared, turning to face his former friend one last time. "I've been paying every day since it happened. I feel sorry for you. You have to live knowing that it was your intolerance that killed her." He shifted the knife just out of reach with the edge of his boot. "Have a nice life Callum, something tells me it won't be as luxurious as you've been used to.

With that, they all got into the jeep and left.

"Take this." Charisma ordered, throwing him a small, black device. "Shout 'SPD Emergency' and click the button at the top."

"SPD Emergency!" He called out, finding himself morphed into the Blue Ranger. "The costume's different, but it still feels good."

"Your young friend did well." Jack said to David, pouring himself a scotch. "It's a shame it was his last race."

"You killed him anyway?" David asked.

"He's the reason my daughter's dead." Jack snapped. "Now we're even."

"It's probably a good thing she is." David spat angrily. "That way she didn't have to live to see what a vile, disgusting creep her father turned out to be."

"Shut UP!" Jack roared, pulling out his cane-sword and slashing him across the left cheek, before pressing the point to his throat. "If you say one more thing about…"

"You're going to kill me anyway." David snapped back. "You never had any intention of releasing any of us, did you?"

"You're a very astute person Dr. Goodman." Jack laughed, placing his other hand on the end of the handle. "It's been years since I killed someone myself."

"Well you're not practicing on him." Kimberly announced her presence, crashing through the skylight. She kicked him across the room, before grabbing her husband and diving through the two-way mirror into the bar. She helped him get to a hiding place behind some tables as Jack's guards began to open fire. The other Rangers smashed their way in through the front door, returning fire.

"I've got to say, you still look good in pink spandex." David said cheekily, looking at his wife in her newly-granted morphed form.

"It's a little present from Wes." She answered him, getting back into the fire fight.

"How we all get a Deltamax Striker and you get two Delta Blasters?" Colin asked.

"Perks of being Red I suppose." She replied with a shrug. "Do you know what my motto is?"

"If in doubt, cause some destruction?" Colin suggested.

"Well yes, but I've just come up with a new one. If at first you don't succeed," she switched her two blasters into their combined mode, before levelling it at the balcony, "use a bigger blaster."

She fired it off, in a huge salvo, forcing the goons to get their heads down.

"I like it." Colin told her, converting his deltamax striker into baton mode. "Come on guys, let's finish these guys off up close."

They all leapt onto the balcony, striking down the guards as they rounded on them, dispatching them with practiced ease.

"Where do you keep your files?" Charisma snarled at him, levelling the blaster in his direction.

"They're in the safe on the wall." He began. "But only I know the…" He was interrupted as Charisma pulled the trigger, blasting the door off the safe. "…combination."

"You really should consider seeing someone about your aggression." Dippy suggested.

"Well, it worked." Charisma stated, moving over to the safe and pulling out the files. She handed Colin the photos of him morphing into the Blue Soulfire Ranger. He threw them into a trash can and set fire to them, destroying the evidence.

"It's you isn't it." Jack gasped. "So, you're wearing a different costume now. That doesn't mean I can't expose you."

"We all have cast-iron alibis that we never left the States." Colin informed him. "So without any evidence, you can scream about me being the Blue Ranger all you want. No-one will believe you."

I've found the folder for the investigation." Charisma informed them. "I'll leave the rest here. We'll let the cops clean the rest of this mess up."

With that, the police arrived at the door, making their way into the building. If they'd looked up, they would have seen five brightly-coloured superheroes leaving through the shattered skylight, taking David with them. Kimberly drove the jeep out of the city, back to the area where Wes had dropped her off. She activated her communicator, calling Wes.

"We've got everything we're going to get here." She told him. "Can you pick us up?"

"No problem. I'll be with you sooner than you think." As he said this, the VTOL appeared into view, landing a short distance from them and opened it's cargo doors, allowing them to drive inside. As they took off and Wes programmed the auto pilot, they made their way into the cockpit and powered down.

"You were here the whole time?" Kimberly asked. "Why didn't you come and help us?"

"You'll have to ask the big dog." He responded, hugging her to greet her. "So how do the morphers work?"

"Pretty good." Kimberly told him. "I'd say Kat can chalk up another success."

A couple of hours later, the seven of them were in the command centre to get the de-briefing from Cruger. He handed the files they had to Ethan.

"Start working through those." Cruger told him. "We need to know everything we can."

"Why didn't you let Wes help us?" Kimberly asked. "He told me he was doing all this without your knowledge."

"You should know by now that not much goes on without my knowledge." He answered, turning on the monitors and showing footage of the Soulfire Rangers. "I knew they were up to the job. I couldn't let Wes interfere with the results, so I told him to pretend he was helping you without my knowledge."

"Why could he not interfere?" Charisma asked him. "What results? Was this a test or something?"

"We needed to see how the morphers functioned in the field." Cruger told them. "But that's not all we were testing."

"What else?" Colin asked.

Dippy suddenly caught on to Cruger's train of thought. "Us! You were testing us, weren't you?"

"SPD will be going public within the next five years." Cruger told them. "We will need a strong Ranger team when that happens. Dr. Oliver contacted me about your exploits as the Soulfire team and I've been keeping tabs on you ever since."

"So what are you saying?" Scott asked.

"I'm offering you all jobs." He answered.

"I was hoping to become a teacher." Dippy replied. "I really want to help kids…"

"You can help 30 kids a year as a teacher," Cruger interrupted, "or help keep EVERY kid on the planet safe as a Ranger."

"I can't speak for the others," Colin began, "but I'll do it on one condition."

"Which is?" Cruger asked.

"Charisma's Red!" He answered. "It's not just because I'm dating her, she lead our team, and I would trust her with my life without question. If Charisma's Red, then I'm in."

"Me too." Scott put down.

"And me." Dippy added.

"Thanks guys." Charisma said, blushing a little. "But I'm sure Wes…"

"I only came back on a temporary basis." He replied, taking off his own morpher and handing it to a lab worker. "Put that in archives. I won't be needing it any more."

"Then it's settled." Cruger stated. "Your full training and briefing will begin tomorrow. Welcome to SPD."

"I have a question." Scott chipped in. "Can you somehow make my costume purple?"

"It would only require a small adjustment to your morpher," Cruger explained, "but we've already bought the paint for the Zords, and I'm not ordering 140,000 worth of purple paint."

"Aw man!" Scott protested, before realising what he'd just heard. "We get Zords?"

"You will eventually." Cruger answered. "Now, dismissed."

With that, Cruger saluted them. The four new Rangers turned and left for their assigned living quarters to begin thinking of the excuses they'd give their parents to explain their sudden re-location and employment.

"Mrs. Goodman, can I convince you to join the team?" Cruger asked her.

"No, I'd rather concentrate on my own quest." She replied, handing him the Pink morpher. "But thanks for the offer. I have to admit that it did feel good to get back to action, even if it was only for one night.

A/N: Yes, this probably will lead to a spin-off story where they look for a good Pink Ranger candidate at some point, but at the moment, I'll concentrate on this.


	10. Heading North

The next six months were painfully quiet following McArthur's arrest. His files had revealed the identities of nearly twenty babies and ensured they were returned to their rightful families since it had been discovered during his interview that McArthur had been keeping tabs on the sales in the other three territories in order to blackmail regular payments from the others, which meant they had information on the identities of babies sold in the remaining three territories.

This had originally led to renewed hope that their search was over, but this had proven not to be the case. Jack had only secured access to the lowest levels of security in the systems of the other three territories, meaning that some of the higher paying clients still went under the radar. As near as they could tell, there was still almost half a dozen children unaccounted for by the search. David tried all he could to keep Kimberly from slipping deeper into despair. They had now been actively searching for almost three years, and yet another Christmas had been cruelly ripped from them. David arrived in the family room late in the evening, finding Kimberly sitting alone in the dark, staring into space.

"They'll find something." David said, moving over beside her and gently stroking her hair. "They're doing everything they can."

"Twenty five." She breathed gently. "We've safely returned twenty five babies to their parents. What more do we have to do before it's our turn?" She turned to face him, tears beginning to form. "Is this some sort of punishment? What did I ever do to deserve this?"

"You didn't do anything." David whispered, cradling her face into his chest as she began to weep. "This is not a punishment for anything you did; you can't blame yourself for any of this."

"Mommy, are you crying?" A little voice came from the door. Looking up from their embrace they realised that Joe had woken up and entered the room. Kimberly gestured for him to come over and lifted him into her lap, allowing him to join the embrace.

"I'm just a little upset." She told him as he settled into the combined embrace of his parents.

"Are we going away again?" He asked. Kimberly and David just looked at each other for a minute, unable to answer. It hadn't occurred to them that Joe was now astute enough to notice their hectic travel schedule across the previous year.

"What makes you say that honey?" Kimberly asked him.

"You usually cry before we have to go away." He informed them. The child was obviously a little concerned by this thought. They hadn't had any new information to chase up in all those months, so for the first time in a long while, Joe had gotten used to spending time around the base with all the other children. It obviously got to him anytime he had to be uprooted from his routine.

"We have a lot of things to do." David tried to explain. "Sometimes we have to go away, you know that."

"I know." He grumbled a little.

"I'll tell you what." Kimberly said, as she began to carry her son back over to his bedroom. "If you go back to sleep, your daddy and I will talk about it."

"So we're going away again?" He asked again, by now fighting the urge to fall asleep right there in her arms.

"Maybe not dear." She whispered gently as she lay him down. "Maybe not."

She made her way back to the living area and looked at David thoughtfully. This was something they hadn't initially planned for. They had always hoped that they would find their daughter within the first couple of months, but they hadn't thought about the practicalities of a longer search. Joe was now coming close to his fourth birthday. It wasn't fair to keep tearing him away.

"David, we really need to talk about this." Kimberly began. "We can't stop looking for our daughter, we can't, but we need to start thinking about what we're going to do with Joe."

"I always hoped we'd never have to make these kinds of arrangements." David sighed. "I didn't know when would be the right time to bring it up; you were always so sensitive about the subject of the search." He paused for a second and took Kimberly's hands in his own, looking into her eyes. "We have two children. We can't sacrifice the welfare of one for the sake of the other. I think we should talk about alternative arrangements to always bringing him along with us."

"We know the family unit here will take care of him while we're away." Kimberly told him. "We should enrol him in the pre-school. Hopefully when he starts going to school it will help keep him mind off things."

"It's not ideal," David responded, "but it may be the best route to take. He needs to get into a routine and get an education. He can't do that if we're pulling him away every time we hear a rumour."

"I hate to think what this will do to him." Kimberly replied sadly, quietly making her way to the bedroom door and watching him sleeping peacefully. "He couldn't understand if we told him what we were doing."

"We just have to be there for him as much as we can." David said to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and gently resting his chin on her shoulder. "Other than that, all we can do is hope for the best."

"He's incredible, isn't he?" Kimberly sniffed, observing her little boy.

"He is." David agreed. "He takes after his mother."

The following day, Kimberly took Joe to meet the pre-school teacher. She knew that in order to make the transition as smooth as possible, he had to be at ease with the teacher and his 

classmates. Within minutes, she was convinced she needn't have been worried. Joe plunged headlong into activities with his new classmates, making friends and running around like a lunatic with the biggest smile on his face. It wouldn't necessarily make any periods of enforced absence any better, but at least she had eased her worries that this would be kinder on the poor child than continually pulling him across the globe any time a rumour came to them about a six-year-old who'd suffered the measles. It might not be the ideal happy family situation, but at least she knew he'd be well cared for. For seemingly the first time in years, Kimberly found herself smiling.

Nearly a month later they'd still not heard anything concrete. Things just seemed to run into a dead-end. Two of the three known drop-off locations no longer even existed, and the haulage yard in Southern Canada had been re-possessed by a stock broker almost three years previously. Whoever the baby merchants were, wherever they were, they seemed to have gone to ground. So it was for this reason that they were stunned into silence as Ethan sprinted into their room during Joe's birthday celebrations.

"Ethan, what the..." David reminded himself that his son was in the room, tucking into birthday cake. "What can I do for you?"

"Hey there Joe." He began, greeting the young boy. He handed him his hand-held games console that was almost surgically attached to him when he wasn't on duty. "Here you go, happy birthday."

He gave them a little glance and nodded in the direction of the hall. The fact he was willing to part with his beloved hand-held was an indication how important what he had to say was. As Joe began randomly tapping away on the electrical device, David and Kimberly followed him into the hall.

"Ethan, what is it?" David asked.

"The haulage yard's been sold." He told them.

"So?" Kimberly asked. "It's been a vacant lot..."

"I'll explain in the command centre." He interrupted her. "Trust me; you'll want to hear this."

With that, he sprinted from the area. David and Kimberly held each other cautiously. It was always so hard not to get hopeful any time a new lead came up, but their hopes had already been dashed too many times for them to get too excited. Could this really be any better than what they already knew?

They arrived after they'd managed to settle down the sugar-loaded Joe to find Ethan alone in the command centre. He was cycling through several data sheets on the screens, checking his data for the thousandth time, though still finding no flaw in his logic.

"You said the Haulage yard's been sold." David began. "It was repossessed."

It was repossessed by the finance agency which signed over the mortgage, Gretzky Estates."

"Something tells me it has nothing to do with Wayne." Kimberly retorted. "What does that mean?"

"It's a subsidiary of Lemieuxtech LTD." He explained. "This is itself a pocket investment of..."

"The five minute version, please." Kimberly snapped, a little impatiently.

"I've spent the last four months tracking the financial records and sales ledgers." Ethan explained. "After compiling a virtual dictionary's worth of subsidiaries and sub-groups and satellite companies, I've found out something interesting."

"For the love of GOD!" David roared. "Get to the bloody point!"

"The company which owned the haulage yard in the first place sold it to the finance agency which mortgaged it out." He began to explain. "But guess what? It's a satellite company of the same group."

"Is that some form of tax evasion?" David asked.

"I'm not through yet." Ethan continued. "That same finance company mortgaged it out to another subsidiary group, who ran it for a couple of years before they defaulted on their repayments." He highlighted the dates of the transactions. "Right around the time the brown smelly stuff hit the fan for Dr. Black."

"The same finance company re-possessed it." David gasped, realising what he was getting at.

"Doesn't it seem odd that a finance company would keep an empty, highly valued lot on it's books without lease or sale for this long?" He asked. "They then sold to Jagr Systems."

"Let me guess." David concluded. "Half a dozen dummy companies removed..."

"From the same group that owned the lot all this time." Ethan interrupted him. "They've obviously just been waiting for a time when the lot would be useful again, while keeping it's ownership...questionable."

"You mean confusing and misleading." David chipped in. "Who owns it?"

"It's funny you should ask that." Ethan carried on. "After tracking all the parent and dummy corporations, it all leads to one man. Jean-Marie Lerveaux"

"Then he's our man." David snapped.

"Not exactly." Ethan explained. "He WAS your man, but he died in 2006. He has a death certificate, coroner's report and even a grave plot number in Winnipeg." He cycled through a few more records. "That means all his tax records and business debts died with him, however, he has a nephew who was born within a week and a half of him." He pulled up two 

file photographs, overlapping them. "Who seems to have an uncanny family resemblance to his uncle don't you think?"

"Let me guess..." Kimberly began.

"The nephew was left everything." Ethan confirmed. "I'd like to introduce you both to Jean-Christophe Ouvellier."

"Let me guess, Doggie doesn't know anything about this little search you've been doing."

"I was never here; I never touched these computers after hours." He handed David a dossier over his right shoulder. "I never gave you a printout of all the illegally obtained information I've just given you. I've been in my room every night after shift playing my Nintendo Wii." He held a hand over each shoulder for a high-five. "You can say it."

"Ethan," Kimberly breathed as she and her husband each slapped one of his hands, "you're a goddam genius."

"I know." He answered with the same mischievous giggle he had in high school. "I just like hearing it."

With that, it was back to the familiar old routine of booking flights and packing for a trip north of the border. Kimberly had only just finished booking her seat on the flight by the time David came into the room with her bag.

"I've packed it for a fortnight." He informed her.

"Hopefully that'll be long enough." Kimberly replied. "I really hate leaving the two of you. Is Joe still awake?"

"He's so full of sugar it'll be hours before I managed to get him down." David chuckled. "You and your obsession for black forest gateaux."

She made her way through to Joe's room, finding Joe still playing the games console Ethan had given him.

"Joe, mommy has to go away for a while." She told him. "Daddy will stay here with you."

"Do you have to go?" He asked, setting down the video game.

"I'm afraid so sweetheart." She replied, gently kissing him. "I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise."

"Kim, it's time to go." David told her. "Eric said he'll take you to the airport."

"Try to get to sleep." She told her son, hugging him once more. "You want to be healthy for pre-school tomorrow."

"Come home soon mommy." He called after her as she left. With that, Kimberly collected her luggage and made her way to the hangar.

A few hours later, Kimberly stepped off a plane in Southern Canada, finding the air to be crisp, and clear. She had taken a flight into a small airport a little way from Toronto, though she was beginning to regret her decision. The airport may have been several miles closer to the haulage yard, but there was no car rental nearby. Hailing a cab, she bundled her luggage into the back.

"Where are you going?" The driver asked her. He was a portly, aging man with thick glasses and thinning grey hair. He wore a thick, checked jacket which made him look like a lumberjack. A half-eaten foot long sub and folded newspaper in the passenger seat informed her that he was used to long, uneventful shifts. He smiled at her with a warm, friendly face that seemed to invite conversation. He reminded her a little of her grandfather, he just seemed to have an aura around him that made her feel comfortable in his presence.

"Is there a guest house or something near the old Maxwell's haulage yard?" Kimberly asked.

"Has your husband just started there?" He asked.

"He has." Kimberly lied. "We haven't bought somewhere yet, so I just need to stay there until I find an apartment."

"It shouldn't take you too long to find somewhere to buy." He chuckled, pulling away from the kerb. "Rocky Creek's a tiny place, but it's been a virtual ghost town for years. You'll probably get a room as Larry's."

"Is that a hotel?" She asked.

"No, Larry's is the tavern." He told her. "He has a couple of rooms above the bar. It's not the Ritz, but you can live in it."

"Take me there then." She instructed him. "Have many drivers started at the yard?"

"Since it got bought up a couple of days ago, truckers have been coming in from all over." He informed her. "When the yard shut down, most of the people moved away. It was the main employer around here. When that went, most people ended up getting jobs in the city."

"It sound like Mr Ouvellier's single-handedly saved the town." She commented.

"Single-handedly saved himself you mean." He laughed. "No-one knows why that lot's sat empty for all these years; it was a gold mine back in the day. He picked it up for a ridiculous price! God only knows who he had to lean on to get that price."

"Do you think there was something suspicious about the sale?" She asked.

"I've learned one thing to be true in this life." He remarked. "No-one has money that hasn't had to step on someone to get it." He pulled up outside a quaint little two-storey log building. The driver hadn't been exaggerating about the size of the town; there was maybe only three streets in either direction, with only a small convenience store, a church and the tavern at it's centre. "Well, we're here."

"How much do I owe you?" She asked.

"Nothing." He replied, waving her off. "Call it a complimentary service. I'm Larry."

"You own the Tavern?" She asked, slightly surprised. "So why...?"

"Like I said, most people moved out when the haulage yard shut." He explained, taking her bag and showing her in. "You don't earn much money from a Tavern when there are less than twenty people who drink there."

"Well, maybe with the haulage yard re-opening you'll start to get more business." Kimberly said, approaching the desk. "I'd like a room please."

"I see you've met my dad." The girl on reception responded with a smile. She was taller than Kimberly, and quite skinny, though not unhealthily so. Her pale skin stood out against the thick, dark green sweater that she was wearing. "Can I take your name?"

"Kimberly Goodman." She answered. "Room for one."

"How long for?" She asked.

"I'll pay day-to-day." She answered. "I don't know how long I'll be here."

"Your husband isn't starting at the haulage yard, is he?" Larry asked. "Are you a reporter?"

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"Everyone's keeping a close eye on the haulage yard recently." He told her. "We got a reporter in from New York a couple of days ago. Everyone wants to know what's going on there."

"So are you a reporter?" The girl at the desk asked.

"Yes." Kimberly lied. "I want to see what's going on with Ouvellier."

"Well, we'll help whenever we can." She responded. "I'm Annette."

"Pleased to meet you." Kimberly answered, shaking her hand. "Do you have a room?"

"We've only let out the one to that reporter." Annette stated. "Would you like a view of the mountains? Or the haulage yard?"

"The yard." Kimberly replied, accepting the key.

"Somehow I thought so." She chuckled. "The other reporter said the same thing."

"What's his name?" Kimberly asked. "Maybe I know him."

"Her." Larry corrected her. "Her names Cassandra, or Cassie or something like that."

"Cassidy." Annette groaned at her dad's inability to remember the name of the first guest he'd had in weeks. "Cassidy Cornell."

Kimberly thought hard for a moment. She remembered that name! Thinking back, she suddenly got the image of the steps outside Las Vegas' Supreme Court, and Dr. Black being gunned down in broad daylight. Thinking about it, she remembered a young, blonde reporter with his blood splattered across her face. "Cassidy's here?" She shrieked."

"Do I know you?" A voice came from behind her. Turning around, she saw the same young woman standing a little way in front of her in a large, baggy ski jacket. She crossed over to her, eyeing Kimberly up thoughtfully.

"Go to the bar and order a glass of wine." Larry told her. "It's on the house." He then went upstairs, taking Kimberly's bag to her room.

"My name's Kimberly Goodman." She told the reporter.

"I know that name." She whispered, moving through to the bar with her. "I can't remember why but..."

"Las Vegas." She interrupted her. Cassidy's eyes shot wide as she said this.

"You mean...?" Kimberly nodded. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry." She hugged her warmly as the bar man handed over their drinks.

"We didn't order yet." Kimberly commented, pulling away a little.

"My dad gives everyone a free drink when they arrive." He informed her. "My name's Philippe, I'm the barman, maintenance department and head chef here."

"Kimberly." She introduced herself with a handshake. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He responded. "Let me know if there's anything you want from the menu." With that, he left them behind.

"I'm here investigating claims that Mr. Ouvellier's guilty of massive tax fraud." Cassidy told Kimberly, taking a sip. "My cameraman, Devin and I have been here for a week or so. What are you doing here?"

Kimberly looked around to make sure no-one was listening and leaned in closer. "I'm chasing up information on the baby thefts." She told her.

Cassidy also looked around, before pulling in close, almost touching forehead-to-forehead. "You think he has something to do with that?"

"I'm still searching for my daughter." Kimberly explained. "I got a lead that suggests he may be involved."

"What kind of lead?" She asked.

"Ouvellier's owned this haulage yard for years." Kimberly continued. "We know that this haulage yard was the drop-off point for the Canadian distributor, the man code-named Eagle."

"Let me guess, you think he was Ouvellier's 'Uncle'." Cassidy stated, miming the quotation marks.

"You know about that?" Kimberly asked.

"Trust me, everyone knows about that." Cassidy answered. "That's why I came here; he used it to avoid a huge bill from the tax authority dating back almost 15 years. I'm trying to prove the link."

"Well I think we need someone on the inside." Kimberly said, pulling out her cell phone. She hit the speed dial function. Cassidy noticed the name on the display.

"You think Dr. O can help?" She asked.

"He knows a lot of people who are no strangers to danger." Kimberly responded in her practiced double-speak. Tommy picked up the phone.

"Kimberly." He greeted her. "David said you might call. What can I do for you?"

"I'm investigating a haulage yard." Kimberly told him. "I need someone with an HGV licence. Do you know someone?"

"I think I do." Tommy said with that usual knowing chuckle he always had when he had a plan in mind. "You'll love him."

"Can I speak to Kira?" Cassidy whispered.

"Cassidy's here." Kimberly informed him. "She wants to speak to Kira."

"Kira's...uh...busy." Tommy told her. Kimberly could almost see Kira waving her arms frantically as she heard this. Tommy had told her that Kira was now the owner of Goldstein's Records, and figured that Cassidy was intending to use her friendship with Kira to get access to the acts on her books. Somehow she got the feeling Cassidy had tried that before. "Anyway, I'll call an old friend."

"Thanks Tommy." Kimberly said, putting away her cell phone.

"Kira's still busy?" Cassidy grumbled. "How can she still be busy? She's been busy for months!"

"She inherited the company." Kimberly reminded her. "When David was setting up the practice I barely saw him over the following two years, and he had a minor in business. Kira's learning everything from scratch."

"Whatever." Cassidy rushed out, waving off the comment. "So do you want a hand? I really think Devin and I can help you out."

"Well you have been observing the haulage yard longer than I have." Kimberly conceded. "Plus it will be pretty hard for them to avoid any charges if their operation is exposed on national television."

"Hey Cassidy." A nervous young man greeted her, sitting down. He was a little skinny, and had long, floppy hair and pale skin. Kimberly presumed this was her cameraman Devin. He kissed her on the cheek as he sat down. "Who's this?"

"Kimberly Goodman." Kim introduced herself with a handshake. "I take it you're Devin."

"That's right." He told her. "So are you a fan?"

"Mrs. Goodman's looking for her daughter." Cassidy told him with a little excitement showing through. Kimberly could forgive her lack of diplomacy for the help she would give her. She realised that this would make a simple tax-evasion story into headline news. "Ouvellier may have been involved in the Las Vegas baby thefts."

"Oh my God, Kimberly I'm so sorry." Devin breathed as the barman gave him a beer. "We'll do anything we can to help."

Really all we can do is continue to observe what he's doing." Kimberly told him. "Other than that, we need to wait for our inside man."

"We have an inside man?" Devin asked, a little puzzled.

"One of Mrs. Goodman's old friends has a truck licence." Cassidy explained. "We're hoping to get him to pose as a driver and get some inside information."

"Undercover work?" Devin remarked with a little smile. "Sweet!"

"We'll meet you back here tomorrow night." Cassidy concluded, finishing her wine. "The haulage yard closes early on a Sunday; everyone will be in here tomorrow evening. We'll share everything we have with you then."

"Hopefully our man will be here by then." Kimberly answered. "Thanks Cassidy."

"Anything we can do to help." Cassidy replied. "Come on Devin, show me what you have."

The following evening, Kimberly made her way into the bar, finding Cassidy and Devin sitting in the corner, observing the characters in the room.

"Kimberly, come over." She yelled, waving her over. "Sit down, we'll show you who everyone is."

As Kimberly sat down, Annette came over. "Mrs. Goodman, someone claiming to be your Husband just entered the reception area." She informed her. Kimberly could hardly believe her eyes as she saw the tall, muscular dark haired man approaching. She hadn't seen him in ages.

"Jason!" She shrieked, leaping into an impassioned hug.

"Nice to see you too honey." He answered. "It's been too long."

As he sat down and Annette left, she gestured to the two younger people. "Jason, this is Cassidy Cornell, the reporter, and her cameraman Devin."

"You've got the press involved already?" He asked, shaking hands with them.

"They've been observing the haulage yard for a couple of weeks now." She explained. "We're hoping that by combining our resources we can bring him down." She pulled a little closer. "Anyway, I didn't know you had a truck licence."

"My son, Austin, loves camping." He explained. "But you know how much Trini hates roughing it, so I had to buy an RV. It's so big I needed a truck licence to be able to drive it."

"Well it's great to see you." She replied, kissing him on the cheek. "How are Trini and Austin?"

"Trini's really enjoying running the juice bar." He told her. "Austin's nearly seven now, he really loves school, he's so smart."

"He takes his brains from his mom's side of the family then." Kimberly replied jokingly. Jason chuckled a little and nodded.

"Well I shouldn't have trouble getting in." Jason told her. "They're hiring so many drivers it's unbelievable. Just about any driver just walks straight into a job."

"Only Ouvellier's guys load the trucks." Devin informed them, showing them some of his pictures. "All the drivers do is deliver the loads; they never even see what's inside. They drive the loads south, and a little over half of the loads come back."

Jason cycled through the photos, confirming what Devin had said. "So we can presume he's shipping something dodgy." He concluded. "How does he get it through customs?"

Cassidy pointed to a tall, brown-haired man in a long coat by the bar. His black trousers with a yellow stripe at the side betrayed the fact he was wearing a Mountie's uniform underneath the coat. "That's Ouvellier's nephew Francoise." She began. "He works on the border guard. Every time one of his Uncle's trucks comes, he just waves them through."

"Surely he has to record at least SOME searches to avoid suspicion." Kimberly stated.

"But those are only forms." Cassidy interjected. "Devin spent two days watching the border. Not one of the trucks got searched."

"Well I'll go in tomorrow." Jason Concluded. "We'll know more when I get a chance to observe those containers. Come on 'sweetheart', let's go to bed."

"Jason, we are both married." She reminded him.

"But we need to share a room to maintain our cover." He answered. "I'll sleep on the floor."

"I'll have a digital camera and a tape recorder for you by the time we come down for breakfast tomorrow." Devin told him. "We'll see you then."


	11. Keep on Truckin'

Jason and Kimberly made their way down to the breakfast room of the tavern, finding Cassidy and Devin already there. Devin was enthusiastically demolishing his third bowl of lucky charms while Cassidy watched on with a slight look of revulsion on her face.

"Could I have the full cooked breakfast?" Jason asked as Phillipe, still on shift from the previous night, came over to take his order.

"I'll just have some French toast." Kimberly stated. Phillipe then made his way into the kitchen to prepare the meals.

"Here's the camera." He told Jason, handing him a tiny digital camera under the table. Jason inspected it carefully. "It's a simple point and click system, so there's nothing that can go wrong. It's got a 1 gigabyte memory stick, so that should be plenty."

"I'll see what I can find out." Jason told him, putting the camera away. "Thanks."

"This miniature cassette recorder should help out if you find yourself overhearing any interesting conversations." Cassidy told him, slipping him the device. "The cassette in there will record for 90 minutes, so be careful with it and only use it if you think it's worth recording."

"I'll keep that in mind." Jason told her. "I'll head out to the haulage yard after breakfast."

"We'll continue to keep an eye on the place." Cassidy told him. "Hopefully we'll find out something useful."

"I guess it's time for me to get a job." Jason commented, getting up from the table and kissing Kimberly on the cheek. "I'll see you tonight sweetheart."

"You're enjoying this cover story a little too much." Kimberly giggled. "Anyway, do you two need a hand with the surveillance on the yard?"

"Sure, you can join us if you like Mrs. Goodman." Devin told her, putting his bowl back on the table. "The biggest problem with this job is staying awake, you wouldn't believe how boring just watching trucks is."

Jason arrived at the haulage yard only a short time later, making his way up to the gate. He couldn't believe the haulage yard had only re-opened a week previously. There seemed to be dozens of workers constantly bustling about the place. Forklift drivers loaded containers onto the huge flatbed trailers as drivers queued outside the small shack in the centre of the yard which Jason presumed was the site office. As he made his way through the gate, he was approached by a security guard in a heavy winter coat. Jason figured he'd probably be carrying a gun, so he decided not to make any sudden moves and just see what he wanted.

"Are you a driver?" The guard asked him.

"Not yet, but I'm hoping there's work for me." Jason replied.

"The boss always has plenty of work." The guard said, waving him through. "He's in the office. Go and ask him."

"If I was a crook," Jason whispered under his breath as the guard headed back to his post, "I'd hire better security."

Back in the hotel, Kimberly was taking the latest turn observing the yard, and watched as Jason approached the site office purposefully. She turned back into the room to see Devin seemingly attempting to drink his body weight in soda while Cassidy checked through some notes she had written.

"Jason's in." Kimberly told her. "I just hope Ouvellier's hiring today."

"He's always hiring." Cassidy informed her. "He's got more deliveries than he knows what to do with."

"He's hired more people in a week than I've ever seen." Devin responded, gulping through a mouthful of soda. "I just wish we knew what he was transporting."

"I'm sure Jason will find out." Kimberly responded. "He's always come through in the past."

"You and Jason know Dr. O from high school, right." Cassidy inquired.

"Yes, and no I am not telling you any embarrassing stories about him." Kimberly answered. "Why is it any of Tommy's old students want me to tell all his old stories?"

"We're just interested." Devin interjected. "I mean he gets a palaeontology degree…"

"Two." Cassidy interrupted, reminding him that he was a PhD.

"Then he decides he wants to be a teacher." He continued. "That and it seems like everywhere he goes Power Rangers pop up."

"Yeah, that's right. First Angel Grove, then Reefside and most recently Vegas." Cassidy remarked. "It's like the man's a one man controversy machine! I could make a career following him around."

"He always had a habit of attracting attention." Kimberly sniggered at the comment. "Hanging around with Tommy was always interesting."

"I hope it was more interesting than his classes." Devin commented. "I mean he was cool for a teacher, but his classes were a total snooze fest."

Jason made his way into the site office, finding himself confronted by a tiny woman in a light blue suit. He waited by her desk for her to finish her call and turned her attention to him.

"I'm here to ask about a job." Jason told her.

"Mr Ouvellier's in his office." She replied, gesturing down the hall. "He's always looking for drivers. Do you have your licence?"

"I sure do." Jason responded. "Is he busy?"

"Just knock and wait for an answer." She told him.

"Thanks." Jason responded, making his way down the hall. Knocking the door gently, he heard a strong accent from inside beckoning him in. As he made his way inside, Jason found Ouvellier screaming down the phone in French. He wasn't happy about something. He slammed down the phone and screamed a mouthful of colourful language at the phone. Jason took his temporary distraction as an opportunity to switch on the cassette recorder.

"You want an ulcer? Run a haulage business!" He screamed. He was a portly man a little shorter than Jason dressed in a non-descript grey suit. He was balding slightly, though what hair he did have was dyed an unnatural shade of black that gave away the fact that he dyed it. He considered Jason for a second with his steely grey eyes. "Are you another driver?"

"Yes I am." Jason began, handing Ouvellier his licence. He inspected it for a second. "Do you have any points?"

"I got a speeding ticket about four years ago, but those points should have expired by now." He answered.

"It says you're from California." The older man remarked. "Are there no haulage yards down there?"

"There are," Jason answered, "but I wanted a change. I kind of have my reasons for wanting to get another job."

"I won't ask." Ouvellier said, picking up a walking stick and getting to his feet. "We all have a past, right?" Jason nodded as he escorted him from the office. "The job here is very simple. The loads are already loaded and sealed. You just take them from A to B."

"I don't have to load or unload?" Jason asked. "What's in…?"

"We do not ask." Ouvellier chuckled. "Our clients use us because of our…discretion. You take the truck to the destination, the crew there unloads it, and you bring the truck back." He looked at Jason directly as they made their way outside. "I am not a fan of paperwork, so you will be paid cash-in-hand when you get back. 5000 dollars per delivery."

"Well that's a lot better than my last job paid." Jason responded with a whistle as he heard of the money involved. "For that sort of money, I won't ask too many questions, but what do I say if I get stopped at customs?"

"The border guards and I have an…understanding." Ouvellier told him. "They know I only hire trustworthy drivers. They leave us to it."

"So when can I start?" Jason asked.

"Now." Ouvellier told him, nodding in the direction of a truck. He handed Jason the keys. "Bring it back in one piece and you'll get paid when you return."

"Where am I taking this thing?" Jason asked.

"I just want you to go to the airport and back." Ouvellier replied with a gesture. "The freight guys will deal with it there.

Jason quickly climbed into the cab and started off down the road. He glanced over to the tavern, making sure he turned on and off the internal light of the cab to signal the others that he had left the yard. He had a feeling the answers he was looking for were not too far out of his reach.

Pulling over a short way down the road, just out of sight of the yard and stopped. He walked around the truck, inspecting the containers. Both of them were red, but one of them had a small green circle spray-painted onto the side of it. Jason took a picture of it, before getting back into the cab. He didn't want to arrive too late and risk the guys at the airport suspecting him of checking out the delivery.

He arrived at the little airport a short time before 12. A man carrying an SMG and looking a little annoyed approached him as he pulled up close to the loading zone.

"Where have you been?" He snapped. "The run from the haulage yard only takes 20 minutes!"

"It's my first day." Jason responded. "I got lost."

"Well no more hold ups." He shouted as one of the containers was unloaded. Almost as quickly, another container was placed on the back to replace it. "Get that back to the yard."

"Friendly guy." Jason muttered as he pulled away. He again stopped the truck a short distance from the haulage yard, checking out the load. He found it curious that the red container had been left on the truck, but he found it more curious that the spray-painted container had been replaced with another; this time marked with a blue dot, and padlocked shut. Without a hacksaw or bolt cutters he couldn't open this crate if he wanted to. Taking a picture, he got back in the cab and drove back to the haulage yard. Ouvellier greeted him as he arrived.

"You took your time." He remarked with a little smile. "The roads around here can be confusing can they not?" He handed Jason a brown envelope. Looking inside, Jason found a large wad of dollar bills.

"Thanks for the job." Jason told him. "Do you have any more runs?"

"Not today, the schedule's full." Ouvellier informed him. "Come back tomorrow. Perhaps we'll give you a little run south."

"I'd like that." Jason replied. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Buy a tom tom." Ouvellier shouted after him. "Make sure you don't get lost."

Jason made his way back into the tavern, making his way to Cassidy's room finding Devin and Cassidy playing snap on the bed while Kimberly kept watch over the yard.

"They seem to be operating some form of three-tiered delivery system." Jason explained, bringing up the images on the digital camera. "The Red containers stay on the truck, but the ones with a green mark go to the airport." He showed them the marking. "While the ones with a blue marking seem to go to the haulage yard, and then they get taken south."

"The containers with the blue markers are locked." Kimberly pointed out, checking the images again. "But the ones marked green aren't."

"I guess it's the blue ones that we should look at." Jason responded. "I'm going on a run across the border tomorrow; I should get more of a chance to check out the cargo then."

"In the meantime, I'll satisfy my curiosity." Kimberly told him, making her way to the door. "I'll wait until it's dark, then I'll check out what's in the unlocked containers."

"Just be careful Kim." Jason warned her.

"You know I will." She replied.

After dark, Kimberly made her way over to the haulage yard, taking position by the fence. Waiting a second for the guard to pass, she quickly climbed over the fence, dropping quietly into the yard. She sprinted over to where the containers stood, awaiting loading. Looking around, he made sure the guard was nowhere around before opening one of the red containers, finding it containing rocks. She pulled out a digital camera and took a picture. She next headed over to one of the green-marked containers and checked it, finding even more surprisingly that it was empty. Taking another picture, she bent down to inspect the marker more closely. Picking up a small stone, she scratched off a little of the paint, revealing a blue marker underneath. She took another picture, surmising that the markers were obviously sprayed on to denote whether or not the container was empty. Obviously empty containers went to the airport to pick up the cargo, before being sprayed over blue once they were full. She looked around, but couldn't find a blue-marked container. Obviously the container Jason had brought to the yard was being stored somewhere away from prying eyes. Reasoning that she wasn't going to learn anything else tonight, Kimberly left the same way she had arrived.

Arriving back in the hotel room, she handed the camera to Devin. "The red containers only carry rocks." She informed them. "The green containers are empty."

"So now all we need is to figure out what the blue ones carry." Jason told her. "I guess they re-mark the containers when they're loaded."

"That appears to be the case." Kimberly told him. "What do you think they could be transporting?"

"Whatever it is, they're going to a lot of trouble to keep it under wraps." Jason said thoughtfully.

"Guns?" Cassidy suggested.

"There's more gun shops in the states than McDonalds." Kim reminded her. "There's no point brining guns into America, the margins are too low."

"I'll find out tomorrow." Jason stated. "There's no way they can keep track of the cargo all the way down. I'll break open the container when I'm over the border."

The next day, Jason turned up at the haulage yard, finding a truck, already loaded, and waiting for him. He was approached by a cargo loader who handed him a clip board.

"The drop off location's our sister yard in Colorado." He told Jason. "Once you cross the border, head onto the interstate and keep going. It's the last turn before you hit the state line. You can't miss it."

"Thanks for the directions." Jason replied. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

He drove the truck onto the road, again flashing the internal cab light to signal the others. This time it was a signal for them to call Devin. He had crossed the border in his rental car the night before and was waiting for instructions. Jason's cell phone rang.

"Where are you going?" Kim asked him.

"Colorado." Jason answered. "There's a haulage yard just before the state line, that's where I'm taking the shipment. Tell Devin to meet me in the breakdown lane of the interstate just outside Denver."

"We will." Kimberly told him. "Be careful."

"I don't think Trini would forgive me if I didn't come back safe and sound." Jason commented. "She'd probably resuscitate me just so she could kill me herself."

Hanging up, Kimberly nodded to Cassidy, who dialled her own phone. "Hello?" Devin asked, a little groggy. He had slept in the car that night, and clearly it wasn't very comfortable.

"It's Kimberly." She told him. "Jason asked you to meet him on the breakdown lane of the interstate just outside Denver."

"I'll be there." He told her. "I've got the supplies we'll need in the trunk."

"Good work Devin." Kimberly answered. "Thanks."

"No problem." Devin replied. "Anything we can do to help out."

Jason arrived at the border crossing a short time before 10 AM, pulling in to a stop a short way from the barrier. He was approached by an official in uniform.

"Have you just started working for Mr. Ouvellier?" He asked. "I haven't seen you before."

"It's my second day." Jason told him, handing over his passport and drivers licence. He inspected it briefly before gesturing for the barrier to be lifted.

"Hope you have a short visit." He responded with a small grin. "It's much better this side of the border."

With that, Jason drove through, onto the interstate and off to his rendezvous with Devin. Soon the mystery would be solved.

Kimberly and Cassidy waited nervously in the tavern's guest rooms for word on their friends. It hadn't seemed like the best of ideas to split up, but they had to leave someone behind to keep an eye on the haulage yard. Kimberly watched as trucks came and went. Almost six trucks a day with the marked containers. The rest appeared to be going to other locations; she presumed they were some of the legitimate deliveries that ran to keep their operation looking clean. Only the marked containers appeared to be closely guarded, all the others seemed to be left alone for the most part.

"They'll be fine." Cassidy told her, sitting on the bed beside her. "Devin's always been the smart one of the two of us. He'll figure something out."

Jason arrived at the rendezvous point, finding Devin waiting. He ran to the back of the truck, a set of lock picks in his hand.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Jason asked.

"Trust me; I used to swipe my sister's bike all the time." He answered, working the lock. As the latch sprung open, he pulled the lock off, and threw open the doors, his jaw almost his the floor as he saw what was inside.

"Oh my god!" Jason breathed as he observed the cargo. "Devin, get me some bolt cutters."

Devin grabbed the tool from the back seat of his car and handed them to Jason. "Take one back to the hotel with you. I need to deliver the rest to the haulage yard."

"But Jason, you can't seriously…"

"I don't want to do this any more than you do." Jason interrupted him. "But we can worry about the consequences once the authorities are involved. Until then we have to carry on as if everything's normal."

"I really don't like this." Devin told him.

"How do you think I feel?" Jason asked him.

Kimberly and Cassidy had grown bored of watching the haulage yard from their room, and had gone to a nearby diner instead. Cassidy Was casually sipping away on her latte as Kimberly continued to watch over the yard.

"So how long have you guys known each other?" Cassidy asked.

"I've known Jason since High School." Kimberly told her. "We lost touch a while, but we met up again a couple of years back."

"Was there ever anything between you?" She asked. "You looked really close."

"I was always more like his little sister." Kimberly answered. "Trini, his wife, was always the one that caught his eye."

"So how did you lose touch?" Cassidy pressed on. "Was it because of the kidnapping?"

"Unfortunately not." Kimberly sighed. "When I was in high school, I got chosen to represent the country in the Pan Global Games on the gymnastics team. I met my husband while I was there, and we fell for each other pretty hard."

"Did your friends not approve or something?" Cassidy asked her.

"It was nothing like that." Kimberly explained. "I was dating one of the guys in our little gang back then, and I had to break it off with him. Since they were in California with him and I was in Florida, we all ended up just sort of…drifting apart."

"You were young then." Cassidy said. "Hell, I was a complete cow when I was younger, I don't know how Devin put up with me."

"I can see you're really happy together." Kimberly interjected. "I presume you are together right?"

"We are." Cassidy replied, going a little pink. She held up her left hand, displaying her modest wedding ring. "Almost five years now."

A short time later, Devin ran over to their table, spilling their drinks as he skidded to a halt.

"Devin, what are you doing here?" Cassidy asked, a little annoyed at losing her latte.

"Guys, come back to the tavern, now." He rushed out. "I'll explain when we get there."

Arriving back in Devin's room, the two girls were stunned to find a little girl sitting on his bed. She was around fourteen or fifteen years old, and had ash blonde hair and deep blue eyes. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a dirty red T-shirt. A short length of chain had been wrapped around her left wrist and padlocked there. A short length still attached to the part around her wrist, dangling down where Jason had cut it off as close to her wrist as he was willing to risk. She darted into the corner with a terrified look on her face, scattering food all over the room. She'd already polished off one burger and fries and appeared to have made good progress through a second.

"It's ok, they're friends like me." Devin said soothingly as he crossed over to the young girl. "They won't hurt you."

"Who is she?" Cassidy asked.

"Her name's Katya." Devin told them. "She's from eastern Europe somewhere, maybe Poland."

"What's she doing here?" Kimberly asked.

"Jason wanted me to bring her back." Devin explained. "She's the cargo."

"What are you talking about?" Cassidy asked.

"They're trafficking people Cass." He told her.


	12. Katya

Kimberly sat down on the bed near the nervous little girl and gently held her hand, looking into her young face. Katya surveyed her thoughtfully for a minute, trying to analyse her situation. She was understandably frightened being confronted by so many strangers.

"It's ok Katya, she's my friend." Devin said soothingly, causing her to look at him in a way that suggested that Devin was about the only person she could trust. Given her experience of America up until now, she probably had a point. Given the state of her clothing and the multiple scratches and bruises visible on her body she had clearly been mistreated quite badly. She looked quite weak and frail, likely the result of malnutrition and dehydration, explaining her healthy appetite. Devin tapped Kimberly on the shoulder. "This is Kimberly." He told her.

"Kim...ber…ly?" She forced out in broken English. While her English wasn't especially bad, it was obvious that it wasn't her first language, and the poor girl's nerves probably weren't helping matters. Kimberly nodded to confirm her name.

"What happened to you?" Kimberly asked slowly. "How did you get here?"

"I am coming from Poland. My mother buy us trip." She began to explain nervously. "We hear that things much better in America. Jobs back home not pay much money. My mother sell house and everything we own for trip to America."

"What happened to you?" Kimberly asked. Katya looked nervously at Devin for reassurance; he placed a hand across her shoulders, gently stroking them.

"Bad men lie to us." Katya told them, a few tears beginning to form in her eyes as she spoke. "They tell us that they take us to America and we get jobs and school, but when we arrive they tell us that we still owe them much money. They tell us we need to work to pay money. They tell us we go to factories to work to pay our debt." Her tears began to run down her face as she explained her predicament. "They take our passports away. I know they lie to us, so one day when I get chance I run."

"You didn't manage to get away." Kimberly surmised, observing the young girl. She nodded to confirm that Kimberly was right about that.

"Bad men catch me and bring me back." She explained. "They..." She made a fist and pounded the bed to signify the concept she couldn't find the word for. Observing her obvious injuries, Kimberly realised what she was indicating.

"They beat you?" Kimberly breathed, unable to hide her horror. Katya nodded to confirm this part of the story.

"They put this on me to keep me inside and tell me there nowhere to run anyway." Katya continued, staring at the floor as she held up her wrist, presenting the chain to Kimberly. "They tell me people find me and bring me back or send me home if I run again. They tell me I will be punished worse if I run again."

"What happened to your mother?" Kimberly asked the young girl. Looking at the expression on her face she could already tell what the answer was going to be.

"My mother was in truck that leave many days before bad men find me." Katya explained in a pathetic, defeated wail as she completely lost the ability to hold in her tears any longer. "I not see my mother since I run."

Devin held her as she began crying, pulling her in to a warm hug. "We have to do something guys."

"This is unbelievable." Cassidy gasped, unable to fathom the story she'd just heard. "They're being brought into the country as slaves?"

"That's what it looks like." Kimberly answered. "We can't let this go on! I can't believe anyone could to this, she's just a kid!"

"To think all I thought was going on was tax fraud." Cassidy said softly, looking over again to where her husband was comforting the terrified young girl. "God only knows what they had planned for her."

"I think it's best we shut them down before we have to find out." Kimberly replied. "Jason should be back soon. We'll discuss what we're doing then."

Jason had to try hard to concentrate on the road as he made his way back to the Canadian haulage yard. It still made his blood boil to think that he had to deliver the immigrants to the haulage yard in Colorado. He had no idea what lay in store for the unfortunate people, but releasing them would have put the investigation, and potentially themselves and the remaining slaves in danger. What upset him more than anything was seeing the defeated looks on their faces when he opened the container. They were not restrained in any way, and could have taken the opportunity to escape if they wanted to, but they were obviously well warned what would happen if they did. The look in their eyes told him that the spirit had been beaten out of them as they just sat helplessly in the open container. It was tragic that leaving them there was probably for the best, as much as it pained him, the slaves would have to remain in captivity a little longer.

He consoled himself with the fact that he'd managed to save the girl. He was horrified to see them transporting one so young, and she had clearly been badly mistreated. She was so skinny and pale that he couldn't help but be concerned for her safety; he was convinced she probably wouldn't survive much longer in that container anyway. He just couldn't leave her in that truck, he'd never have been able to forgive himself.

Pulling into the haulage yard, he stopped the truck a little way from the office. Getting out the cab, he saw Ouvellier approaching him with a couple of security guards. Jason grabbed a tire iron from the cab and slipped it into the back of his jeans, preparing to defend himself in case the American yard had somehow noticed their delivery was one slave short. He knew it was a risk to release Katya, but he had no choice. She was in desperate need of help, and he 

reasoned that if the local law enforcement was corrupt, it would take more compelling evidence than a couple of photos to secure a police raid of the premises.

Ouvellier reached into his inside pocket, and Jason prepared to strike, but instead of a gun, he pulled out another brown envelope. He handed it to Jason.

"That's another job well done." He complimented Jason. He had to try hard to resist driving a fist into the man's face; much less the urge to say something he knew he's regret, but he knew that revealing himself too early would not do the slaves any good. Shoving the envelope into his pocket, Jason turned to leave wordlessly, reasoning that if he said nothing he wouldn't get himself into any trouble.

"Would you like another run today?" Ouvellier asked, halting Jason in his tracks. "I've got another job waiting to go to the airport."

Jason turned slowly back to Ouvellier, trying hard to think of a reason to refuse the job. "I would love to, but I'm looking at a house today." He lied, backing away slowly. "My wife hates living out of a suitcase, and the Tavern isn't exactly huge."

"I suppose you're right." He sighed. "Oh well, I guess one of the others can handle it."

"Thanks for the offer though," Jason answered as he walked away, "maybe another time."

Jason made his way back to the tavern, finding the assembled group in the guest room. Kimberly rushed to his side, greeting him with a warm hug.

"Jason, I'm so relieved you're safe." Kimberly screeched as she held him tightly.

"Air…is becoming…an issue!" Jason replied jokingly. Kimberly released him and hit him hard in the chest.

"I was worried sick about you." She told him angrily. "How could you risk everything like that? What would have happened if they had noticed Katya was missing?"

Jason looked over to where the young girl lay curled up in Devin's bed, catching what appeared to be catching the first restful sleep she's had in weeks. He gestured over to her. "I couldn't have left her Kim." He told her. "It was hard enough not to just let all of them go, but I knew we had to get the whole operation at one time."

"The authorities would have figured it out." She reiterated. "If we'd gotten those people to the cops…"

"Then likely Ouvellier would just tell them that we were the ones smuggling people into the country." Jason interrupted her. "Meanwhile all the others would just have disappeared off the map."

"He's right Kimberly." Devin interjected, gently covering Katya with a blanket as she slept. "I didn't understand it at the time, but he's right, if we told the authorities before we were 

ready to move in on the whole operation at once the only ones that would have suffered would have been the slaves."

"We need to get something concrete on them." Cassidy told them. "We need to make sure we get to a good cop with hard evidence."

"First things first." Jason began. "Devin, tomorrow, take Katya to a clinic and get her checked out properly."

"I will." Devin answered, adjusting his position in his chair a little to get more comfortable. Katya stirred a little, only to pull the covers more tightly around herself and drift back off to sleep.

"Cassidy, we need to check out the Colorado end of the operation more thoroughly." He continued. "Go down to the haulage yard there and keep an eye on it. They have to be shipping those slaves somewhere."

"I'll do it." She responded, beginning to look out her equipment.

"Just observe, don't move in or contact the authorities unless you have something cast-iron." Jason reminded her. "As much as possible we need to make any move on the properties simultaneous. If any of the properties gets hit before the others, there's a chance they'll contact the others."

"Trust me, going all GI Jane on a bunch of criminals is not on my to-do list." Cassidy interjected. "I'll be there later tonight." With that, she gently kissed Devin and turned to leave. She stopped for a second and considered Katya for a short time. "Lend her some of my clothes." She told him. "She shouldn't be too much smaller than me."

"I'm sure she'll appreciate that." Devin replied. "Thanks Cass."

"I'll go with Cassidy." Kimberly stated, collecting her coat. "Jason, keep an eye on things up here."

With that, Kimberly and Cassidy left the room, heading down to Cassidy's rental car. Jason turned his attention once more to Katya.

"Take care of her." Jason reminded him. "I'll be right next door."

"I will." Devin responded as Jason left the room. Seeing her lying peacefully on the couch, he gathered his coat and settled down to sleep on the easy chair across the room.

Kimberly had quickly decided against letting Cassidy drive the rental car after only a few minutes driving. She now understood why Devin had been on driving duty for their assignment. Pulling up to the customs station, Kimberly handed over her passport.

"Do you have anything to declare?" He asked.

"No." Kimberly answered.

"Hope you come back soon." He said without even looking at her, turning back to the guard station and heading inside. She could almost swear she saw one of the officers drinking a can of beer.

"I really felt the sincerity." Cassidy said sarcastically.

"I don't suppose 'have a nice day' is much better." Kimberly suggested thoughtfully. "Anyway, it's a couple of hours drive to the haulage yard. We better get moving."

With that, they pulled away from the border crossing, heading down to find out the fate of the unfortunate slaves.

The following morning, Katya woke up, slightly bemused by her surroundings. Turning to see Devin still sleeping in the corner, she smiled as she remembered how her saviours had released her the previous morning. Stretching herself awake, she moved over to where Devin slept nervously, gently shaking him in an attempt to wake him, but Devin was a sound sleeper. She shook him again, a little more forcefully, but he only stirred a little and tried to swat her away.

Thinking about it, she considered her options before deciding on her new plan. She took her hand and prodded him hard in the ribs. "Devin!" She called out.

"Wha?" He called loudly as he snapped into consciousness. His sudden movement caused Katya to shriek in fright and jump back onto the bed, surveying him cautiously.

"I'm sorry!" She called out, pulling the blanket in front of her. "I not mean you harm, I could not wake you."

Devin's confused expression relaxed a little as he realised he had inadvertently frightened the poor girl. Seeing her shivering slightly, he crossed the room slowly, gently taking the blanket from her. "I'm sorry if I scared you." He said gently. "You just surprised me."

Katya smiled at him a little as she brushed some hair from her face, it was then that Devin noticed the chain still wrapped around her wrist. He moved to take her hand, but she pulled away. He held up some lock picks to show her.

"I can take that off." He told her. "You can trust me, remember?"

Katya thought about it for a second, before giving him her hand. Working the lock for a second, the latch sprung open, allowing Devin to unravel the makeshift restraint and throw it into the trash can.

"How you open without key?" She asked.

"I know how to pick locks." He explained. "I used to swipe my sister's bike all the time."

"What mean 'swipe'?" She asked.

Devin chuckled a little, he should have realised she wouldn't understand his joke. "I used to steal it." He explained.

"If she your sister, why steal?" She asked. "Why not just ask?"

Devin thought about that for a second. He realised she wouldn't understand even if he did explain. "You know, you have a point," he replied, "that would have been easier."

He crossed over to the chest of drawers and opened the top drawer, pulling a pink sweater and a pair of jeans from the drawer. He placed them on the bed in front of Katya.

"Cassidy said you could borrow some clothes." Devin told her. "I'm going to order us some breakfast. You can have a shower and get changed." He was about to leave, as another thought came to him. He turned, noticing that Katya was looking at the clothes with an unspoken gratitude. He caught her attention with a small cough.

"Cassidy keeps her underwear in the bottom drawer." He explained. "I'll let you pick something out."

"What is underwear?" She asked. Devin blushed a little as he tried to figure out how he'd get out of this situation with his dignity intact.

"These are called clothes." He explained, holding up Cassidy's clothes. Katya nodded to indicate she understood. "Underwear is what you put on before you put on your clothes."

Katya giggled as she understood what he was trying to tell her. "Thank you Devin, you very kind."

"I'll be back in twenty minutes." He told her. "Enjoy your shower."

As Devin left the room, Katya couldn't help smiling. She hadn't had much reason to feel happy since she'd left her homeland, but Devin made her feel safe. She wasn't afraid around him anymore. With that thought, she made her way into the shower, it felt strange that such a simple, mundane thing would mean so much to her, but the greatest gift she'd received in ages was nothing more than a hot shower and a loan of some second-hand clothes.

Jason surveyed the yard from his room with a set of binoculars, and a camera with a telescopic lens for any sign of new activity. He continued to document the coming and going of the trucks, but still nothing beyond what they already knew. That was until he saw a police car arriving on site. This was such a small town he knew there was only likely to be one person in it, Ouvellier's nephew Francoise. Jason began snapping a few photographs as they greeted each other before making their way inside the site office. Obviously if he was receiving a payment, then it was happening inside. He tried to get a view through the window, but just couldn't get a good enough view to take a worthwhile picture.

Francoise appeared back outside the office a short time later carrying a brown envelope. Jason took a couple of photos as he watched the man place the envelope in his right jacket 

pocket. He knew that the payment had been made; he now only needed to hear the results of the girl's surveillance.

Cassidy was watching over the yard in southern Colorado, trying to figure out if anything was likely to happen. She was finding herself crippled by boredom as she waited on something happening. Three blue-marked containers had arrived since they'd been watching early the previous evening, but so far none of the containers had been moved, collected or even opened. Kimberly had gone in search of some coffee to keep their spirits up, returning a short time later with two take-away cups and a small, white paper bag.

"They didn't have cappuccino." Kimberly informed her regretfully. "Unfortunately the choice of coffee was limited to white, or black."

"Man I hate surveillance!" Cassidy grumbled, accepting the coffee. "Please tell me they had fresh pastries."

"Define 'fresh'." Kimberly commented, handing Cassidy the bag. She took one look at the contents before scrunching up the bag and launching it into the back seat.

"Something's happening." Kimberly stated, noting an empty truck arriving at the yard. They watched as the containers were lifted onto it by forklifts. Kimberly started up the engine as they watched it pulling away.

"We're on." Kimberly stated pouring her coffee out the window and tossing the cup into the rear foot well. "It's a shame about the coffee."

"Trust me, you're not missing much." Cassidy told her after one mouthful, flashing an expression of disgust and pouring her coffee out the window, also throwing her cup into the back.

Devin took Katya into a small clinic, finding a kindly old man sitting at the reception desk.

"What can I do for you?" He asked.

"Can we see a doctor?" Devin asked.

"Well I'm the only doctor here." He replied with a small smile. "So I suppose you can."

"You're the doctor?" Devin asked. "But you're on the reception desk."

"It's a small town my boy." He explained. "I don't make the same money as some of those big fancy city practices; I haven't been able to afford a receptionist in years." He pulled a little closer to speak more quietly. "Since the freight yard shut down I've not really had enough patients to need a receptionist anyway. I'm Dr. Oswald."

"Could you take a look at my friend here?" Devin asked.

"Certainly I can." He replied. "Come this way dear, and tell me your name."

"Katya." She told him.

"That's a nice name." He remarked. "You're not from around here are you?"

"Uh doc, could we avoid some of the questions?" Devin inquired, handing him a couple of hundred dollars for the examination. "She's kind of…"

"If I don't ask questions you won't have to lie." Dr. Oswald responded with a knowing nod. "Just don't take me for a fool."

"We'd just prefer it if people didn't know you'd seen her." Devin explained.

"That's all part of doctor-patient confidentiality." He explained. "Now my dear, let's have a look at you."

Kimberly and Cassidy pulled up outside a large factory in the middle of nowhere. They weren't even certain they were still in Colorado, but they were certain they were somewhere near the state line. After watching the truck pull in through the gate, they made their way around the building to find a suitable parking place nearby, settling on the parking lot outside a local bowling alley. Cassidy looked around for somewhere nearby they could get a look inside the yard.

"I think we might have to go a little covert this time." Kimberly commented, looking at the high walls the whole way around the building. "Somehow I'm going to have to get over the wall."

"What are our options?" Cassidy asked her.

"How much do you value the security deposit on your rental car?" Kimberly asked.

"It's on the company credit card anyway." She answered. "Where do you want in?"

"Somewhere around the back's probably best." Kimberly told her. "Give me a camera."

Dr. Oswald came out of the office with Katya, who looked to be more than happy as he had given her some candy from the barrel he normally reserved for his younger patients.

"Is everything alright?" Devin asked.

"She is under sixteen, so I would be able to tell her legal guardian." Dr. Oswald said, giving Devin a knowing glance over the top of his glasses. Devin took the hint.

"I'm her legal guardian." He lied.

"She's a bit bruised up, but there's no internal injuries or fractures as far as I can see," he began, "she's a little anaemic, but nothing that requires treatment, just a decent meal every now and again."

"Is there anything I should be worried about?" Devin asked. He pulled closer to make sure Katya couldn't hear. "We're both adults, is there ANYTHING I should be worried about."

Dr. Oswald shook his head to alleviate Devin's worst fear. "She could have been a lot worse; she obviously hasn't been taking care of herself."

"I'll make sure she does." Devin told him. "Thanks doctor. Listen, do you...?"

Dr. Oswald held up his file for Katya, before shoving it into a paper shredder. "I trust you. She really is a remarkable young lady."

"I'll make sure she stays safe." Devin told him.

Cassidy pulled as close to the wall as she could, preparing for Kimberly's entry. Kimberly ran up towards the car, leaping off the ground before spring boarding off the roof, barely catching the top of the wall with her fingertips. Cassidy watched nervously as Kimberly scrambled to the top of the wall, before moving the car around to the bowling alley again.

Kimberly positioned herself as close to the top of the wall as she could before looking around for cameras. Seeing none, she decided not to risk using the courtyard for entry and made her way around the exterior wall looking for alternatives. Seeing a couple of containers stacked outside the factory, she took a look, noting the fact they were sprayed green. Clearly they were awaiting collection. Taking advantage of this, Kimberly leapt from the wall to one of the containers, throwing herself onto her stomach to avoid being seen. Waiting a while and looking around, she convinced herself that she hadn't been noticed. Hauling herself up the drainpipe to the roof, she looked through the skylight.

Inside several people were working under armed guard. Looking through her camera, Kimberly noted that they appeared to be working on washing machines, constantly washing pairs of jeans. She took a few photos, but knew she had to get a closer look.

She looked around the frame of the window for magnetic connectors. She wordlessly thanked Billy for all he taught her, albeit subliminally, through the time she had spent hanging around with him in High School. Convincing herself that there was no danger, she jemmied the skylight open.

"Notoriety breeds arrogance, arrogance breeds complacency." Kimberly thought to herself. God she'd spent too much time around Billy back in the day! However, the point was valid. The only reason she could think of for not alarming the skylight was the fact the gang had so much influence in the area it obviously never occurred to them that someone would have the courage to break in. She made her way along the ceiling support struts looking for a way in. She noticed that while the guards wore military style fatigues, none of the workers appeared to wear uniforms. That was her way in! As long as she didn't attract attention to herself she could move around inside without incident.

Dropping carefully onto a stack of crates, Kimberly waited until no guards were watching before making her way onto the factory floor. She took a cart full of jeans, stashing a pair behind a nearby crate, before removing the rest to the laundry room. She heard a guard cocking a gun behind her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He screamed. Kimberly froze in terror. Had he seen her? Did he recognise her as not being one of the slaves? He crossed over to the cart, throwing a face mask onto it.

"We don't need slaves with a habit!" He snapped with authority. "Put on mask and get back to work!"

This confirmed one suspicion at least, as she put on the dust mask. This wasn't about counterfeit jeans. She made her way through to the washing area, finding several people working dozens of industrial-sized washing machines. The most curious thing, however, was that there appeared to be dozens of maintenance workers removing filters from machines on a regular basis.

Of course! How could she not realise! The jeans she had stashed and one of those filters would confirm it, but that was what they were doing! Drugs!

She remembered Billy once explaining the plot of a movie. Drugs were dissolved in water which was then soaked into textiles. Said textiles were then passed through customs, before being laundered under high temperatures and pressures to remove all moisture, including the moisture containing the drugs from the fabric. After that, it was a simple case of distillation. God, she'd listened to Billy too much back in the day. The point was she now knew what the whole operation was all about! The fact they used slaves to distil the drugs just made their costs lower. They didn't care about the hell they put them through, they just thought about the bottom line! They even wanted her to wear a mask to prevent her attaining a habit. Not out of consideration for a worker, but to prevent her from "burning profit".

Making sure she wasn't being watched, she took pictures of a couple of filters, and stashing one in her jacket before loading a machine and walking her trolley back to the loading area. She found the jeans she had stashed and looked for inspiration for a distraction. She noticed a worker cleaning up a stain with cleansing fluid and a brillo pad. She chuckled a little as the plan formed in her head. 'I really have been listening to Billy too much.'

Taking a brillo pad and soaking it in cleansing fluid, she put it in the pocket of a pair of jeans before throwing them into a tumble drier. She then waited by the pillar for her opportunity. After being switched on, it didn't take long for the distraction to take effect. As the guards suppressed the potential breakout and put out the fire from the explosion, they never even noticed Kimberly leaving through the skylight.

Cassidy waited for word of Kimberly's mission, but got more than that as she heard the explosion. She began to dial, though in her hurry she mis-dialled the others. By the third time, Kimberly had arrived back at the vehicle, launching a pair of contaminated jeans and a washing machine filter into the back seat.

"Get us back to Rocky Creek." Kimberly told her. "It's time we involved the authorities."


	13. Reunion Tour

Katya and Devin were sitting in his bedroom as Kimberly and Cassidy returned. Closing the door behind them as they returned, they made their way over to the bed, Kimberly throwing the jeans and the washing machine filter onto the bed.

"What's this all about?" Devin asked, more than a little confused. They had gone to Colorado to monitor the movements of the haulage yard, not rob a laundrette.

"We found out where the slaves have been taken." Kimberly informed him, downloading the pictures from the digital camera onto Devin's laptop computer. She gestured to Katya to come over and sit beside her.

"I know this is hard, but I need you to tell us if you see anyone or anything familiar." She said to the young girl. Kimberly slowly cycled through the pictures, showing her the pictures she had taken at the Colorado yard and the factory. She surveyed the pictures, not seeing anything familiar.

"I sorry, I not…" She suddenly stopped mid-sentence as Kimberly cycled past a picture of the laundry machines. She gestured to Kimberly to scroll back a bit before holding up a hand for her to stop. A few tears formed in her eyes as she touched the screen, pointing to a woman in the background of one of the pictures. "That my mother."

"It's alright." Devin told her, placing an arm around her. "We know she's safe. We can get her back."

"We'll do everything we can to help her, we promise." Kimberly chipped in, holding the young girl's hand.

"What you do?" She wailed. "Bad man in uniform help them. No one help us."

"Men in uniforms like this?" Kimberly asked, pointing to the guards at the factory. Katya shook her head.

"Man who catch me and take me back." She explained. "Man who hurt me."

Just as she was wondering what Katya meant by that, Jason arrived back in the room, interrupting her train of thought, distracting her from this matter. He downloaded his camera onto the laptop. "I've got pictures of Francoise at the haulage yard." Jason told them. "He collected an envelope. At least now we can prove a link of some kind between him and the yard."

"All of this will get the press involved." Cassidy stated. "But we still need to attract enough attention to the yards to bring the police down in force."

"But at the same time, we need to stop anyone innocent getting harmed until they arrive." Jason continued. "I think it's time to make some phone calls. Kimberly, we can make the calls from my room."

"Who are you guys calling?" Devin asked.

"We're just going to call some old friends." Jason replied with a smirk.

The following morning, Annette was sitting at the reception desk when a blonde-haired man with spectacles approached the desk. He seemed to be wearing some form of grey overalls that gave him an unusual appearance for this part of the world, any part of the world if she was brutally honest. He approached the desk purposefully as another two strangers entered behind him. One was an attractive oriental woman wearing mostly yellow, while the third was an African-American man dressed as a minister. The first stranger leant in closely.

"Hello, is there a Kimberly Goodman staying here?" He asked her.

"Who should I say is calling?" Annette asked as she got up from the desk.

"Tell her Billy Zack and Trini are here." He told her.

"I can't believe I'm going to see Kimmie again!" Zack yelped with excitement. "It's been so long since the gang was last together like this."

"I know." Trini chipped in with a smile. "The last time we were together was for Rocky and Kat's anniversary last year."

"Well I really wish we had happier circumstances under which to meet up again." Billy interjected thoughtfully. "I haven't seen Kim since we lost track of her in high school."

"Well that's what living on another planet does for you." Trini responded. "We only get to see you for weddings and christenings these days."

"Billy!" Kim called out as she launched herself down the stairs. She threw her arms around him, holding him tightly. She hadn't seen much of any of the old gang, mainly special occasions since she'd been released from her captivity in Dr. Black's base, but she hadn't seen Billy since high school. "Trini, Zack it's great to see you all again."

"If I knew I'd get greeted like that maybe I'd visit more often." Billy joked as she released him.

"I hear you're doing the whole domestic thing now." Kimberly commented. "How is everything?"

"Cestria and I have been together for a few years now." He replied, pulling out his wallet and showing her some photos. "We adopted my daughter Celeste two years ago."

"Anyway guys, how about we leave catching up on our domestic situations until a bit later." Jason stated, arriving in the lobby to meet up with his friends. "We should go upstairs and talk about the matter in hand. Trini how's Austin?"

"My uncle agreed to take him for a couple of days." Trini told him.

Assembling in Jason's room, they'd convinced Cassidy and Devin to look after Katya as a way of getting rid of them so they could talk freely.

"The first yard is across the street." Jason began the briefing, pacing the room. "There's only one gate in the fence, so that's the only escape route."

"As much as we want to free these people, it's probably safest if they remain locked up for a while. It'll reduce the chances of someone being caught in the crossfire." Kimberly explained, handing around a couple of pictures. "The containers marked with a green marker or bearing no mark aren't transporting any people. The ones marked with blue paint are."

"The containers with the blue markings are locked." Jason informed them. "They also tend to be stored inside, so when we spring the trap, try to attract attention outside. As long as they remain in the containers, the slaves should be safe."

"The haulage yard in Colorado appears to be much less heavily guarded." Jason carried on. "But the same principle applies. As long as we catch them by surprise and attract their attention outside, we should be able to keep the prisoners safe."

"The real worry is the factory." Kimberly commented. "There's a large storage area in the back, which appears to be where the slaves are held during the night. The large number of hostages increases the chances of someone being harmed, so we have to hit this location after lockdown."

"We'll synchronise the attacks to prevent any one location sending advanced warning to the other locations." Jason put down bluntly. "If we don't hit all the yards at once, the chances of casualties will increase dramatically."

"There are only five of us." Zack pointed out the obvious concern with the plan. "We don't have a chance against…"

"The objective is to attract the attention of local law enforcement." Jason interrupted him. "The site in this town is being kept off the radar by a local cop, and we can probably safely assume the same is true of the other locations. We should only engage if we have to, other than that, just create merry hell. Make enough noise and mess and it'll bring down every cop in the area. Most of them are bound to be straight, so there are no worries about the incident being covered up. The most important thing is to destroy the trucks. If they don't have the trucks, they can't transport the slaves and will be forced to leave them behind."

"I've brought a couple of things that should help." Billy announced, placing his bag on the table. Opening it, he pulled out a small, spherical device made of a shiny, silver metal with a ridge running around the circumference of it's surface. "This is a scrambler. You activate it by pressing in the depressed ridge. Once activated, it emits a localised electromagnetic pulse that will knock out all unshielded communications within a one hundred foot radius for a period of thirty minutes."

"That helps us keep things quiet." Zack remarked, inspecting the device. "Do they make a lot of noise?"

"They're practically silent." Billy answered. "I also brought these." He handed each of them a small, white device, no larger than the palm of a hand. Kimberly was sure the markings were familiar.

"Are these what I think they are?" Kimberly asked him.

"Every SPD headquarters is issued one batch of morphers at present." Billy explained. "We don't have the technology yet to mass produce them, but these are a project I've been working on for emergency purposes, temporary morphers."

"Temporary morphers?" Trini asked.

"They will function in the same way, but they don't have much power. Their energies will only last about an hour." He explained. "Also, I have to warn you guys that they are prototypes. They haven't been field tested, I don't even know if the power cells will survive without burning up."

"Well they'll get a workout tonight." Jason stated. "So what new weapon systems did you get us with these?"

"Actually I was feeling a little nostalgic when I created them." He replied, his cheeks turning a little pink as he spoke. "I've calibrated them to replicate the costumes and equipment bestowed on us by the power coins."

"Oh that's really cute." Trini teased him, shoving him a little. "You're just a big softie aren't you?"

"Well it'll make getting to grips with the equipment easier." Jason replied with a shrug. "Kimberly and Trini, you can handle the factory. Billy, Zack, you handle the haulage yard across the street. I'll take the Colorado yard."

"I notice we have to take the long drive." Trini grumbled, gathering her belongings.

"I'll make it up to you when I get home, I promise." Jason called after her.

"I'll hold you to that." Trini shouted back as she made her way out the door. Billy chuckled to himself as he witnessed this.

"Oh come on, like every married man isn't a little whipped." Jason reprimanded him. "I'm sure Cestria has you under the thumb."

"Busted!" Zack retorted with a laugh as he saw Billy glowing a little red with embarrassment.

"Well I suppose it's not a problem for you." Jason answered him.

"How many times Jason, I'm a minister, not a priest." Zack reminded him. "I can marry if I want to."

"Jason Lee Scott, get your butt down to the car NOW!" Trini shouted from the lobby. "We're leaving."

"Not one word." Jason warned them light-heartedly as he left the room.

Devin and Cassidy took Katya into the local church hall to pass the time. The town was so small that during the week, a projection screen would be set up in the main hall to act as a sort of cinema. Devin watched Katya as she sat; staring at the screen, watching the cartoon reel that was serving as today's entertainment. Every now and again a little laugh would erupt from the quiet teenager. Devin leaned in towards Cassidy and whispered to her.

"Have you ever thought about kids?" He asked her.

"Are you serious?" She asked. Devin nodded with a thoughtful little grin on his face. She could tell that Katya had affected him emotionally since they'd met her, but she hadn't seen this one coming. "Is this about…" She nodded her head a little in Katya's direction.

"In a way it is." Devin replied. "I know we've never really talked about it, but do you ever see us having kids?"

"Some day I suppose." She sighed. Watching Katya continue to laugh at the film, she turned to Devin. "This has all really gotten to you, hasn't it?"

"I always came from a big family." Devin explained. "I was an uncle before I was out of high school; it's just something that's always been important to me. This business with Kimberly and Katya, it's just really brought it into my mind."

"What's happened to them is awful." Cassidy said rubbing her eyes, pretending she was just tired, but Devin knew she always did that when she was trying to hide tears. She continued to survey Katya as she thought about it. "I suppose she is kind of sweet, and it seems to work for Kira and Dr. O."

"Are you saying you'd consider it?" Devin asked.

Cassidy stared at him for a second, unable to answer. Suddenly they both jumped back as Katya darted between them, her eyes wide and visibly shaking.

"Devin, we go now." She babbled as she pulled close to him.

"Did something frighten you?" He asked, surveying the screen. "It's just a cartoon."

"Please, we go now." She repeated. Cassidy looked around the hall. They had been all but alone in the hall, a few people coming and going but nothing major.

"What's wrong?" Cassidy asked her.

"Bad man here." Katya answered her. "Bad man who hurt me here."

"It's alright; we won't let him see you." Cassidy told the trembling youngster. "Where is he?"

"He wearing uniform." Katya explained. "Red coat."

Looking around, Devin saw the mountie from the bar the night Kimberly had arrived. He seemed to be handing something to the minister, and talking with him about something. "It's Francoise." Devin explained to Cassidy. It was only now he realised how deeply the whole thing had affected him. It took every ounce of restraint he had not to rush over there and start pounding on the corrupt cop. "She's just a kid Cass." He muttered, glaring at her. Cassidy had never seen him as angry as this before, it was like he was a different person.

"Please Devin, we go." Katya repeated the wish. "Not let bad man get me."

Devin eased up a little, looking her in the eyes. "Katya I promise he will not touch you again." He reassured her. They looked around for a nearby door, positioning themselves between Francoise and Katya so he couldn't see her, and slowly made their way out of the makeshift cinema. Cassidy gently squeezed Devin's hand for reassurance as they left. She knew how badly he felt for Katya, and yet he had reined in his anger and done what was best for her.

"I'm proud of you." She whispered to him.

A little before nightfall, Kimberly stopped the car. Jason quickly checked his equipment one last time, before leaning over and kissing Trini. "Stay safe." He told her.

"You too." She answered. "I love you."

With that, Jason ran off to hide in the nearby undergrowth to prepare for his move. As Kimberly pulled away, she chuckled slightly.

"What's so funny?" Trini asked.

"Billy told me how to calibrate the morphers." Kimberly explained. "Let's just say Jason's got a little surprise waiting for him."

"What did you do?" Trini asked.

"I've not done anything that will affect his equipment, or the mission." She reassured her friend. "But I still owe Jason for that prank he pulled at Rocky's anniversary."

Carrying on down the road, Trini and Kimberly parked up a short way from the factory. Moving around the rear of the building, they prepared for the signal.

Meanwhile back in Canada, Zack and Billy positioned themselves a short way from the main gate to the haulage yard.

"Is everyone in position?" Jason called over the communicator.

"Trini and I are ready." Kimberly answered.

"We're in position and ready to go." Zack responded. "I even had time to say a quick prayer."

"Just as well, we could use all the luck we can get." Jason told them. "So Billy, do we just press the button to activate them?"

"Affirmative." He answered.

"Jason, how about we do this properly?" Trini asked. "For old time's sake?"

"I'm game." Zack responded.

"Me too." Kimberly chuckled. "Maybe it'll be a good omen."

"Alright then, one last time." Jason relented, preparing to begin the roll call. "It's morphin' time!"

"Mastadon"

"Pteradactyl"

"Triceratops"

"Sabre Tooth Tiger"

"Tyrannosaurus"

Observing themselves in their uniforms, they prepared to act.

"Man this brings back memories." Zack commented.

"Billy, you and I are going to have serious words when I get back!" Jason roared.

"What are you talking about?" Billy inquired.

"You know damn fine." He grumbled. "Anyway, set the scramblers and prepare to move in. Remember, target the trucks first, but leave the blue containers and the holding areas."

With that, Jason made his way towards his first target, hoping his temper would serve him well in the coming battle.

Ouvellier was in the Canadian haulage yard, sitting in his site office when Francoise came in.

"What can I do for you tonight?" Ouvellier asked.

"You're sending more trucks through." Francoise responded. "I'd say I'm entitled to a bigger cut."

"Why should I pay you any more?" He asked.

"Because if you don't, you're going to find it hard to ship your cattle." Francoise reminded him.

"You have a lot of money to lose if we shut down Nephew." Ouvellier told him.

"I want a bigger slice!" Francoise snapped.

"Call someone who cares you petulant brat!" Ouvellier called, picking up his office phone and handing the handset to Francoise. He noticed something curious and held the receiver closer to confirm his finding.

"The line's dead." He told him, pulling out his pistol. "Something's not right."

Just then, a thunderous explosion outside rocked the temporary building that served as the site office. Pulling open the blinds, Ouvellier stared outside in disbelief.

"There are two guys outside tearing up the place." He shrieked, reaching into his desk for a gun. "We've got to get out of here!"

"Who said anything about 'we'?" Francoise asked him, cocking his own gun. "Goodbye."

The roar of the pistol was lost in the commotion of the battle outside. Billy and Zack ploughed through workers and security alike as they targeted the trucks with their Bladeblasters.

"How are Kim and Trini doing?" Zack asked.

"Things are going well here." Kimberly called back as she sent a few guards flying. "I can already hear sirens, we're about to pull out, how about you Jason?"

"I'm almost ready to pull out myself." He answered. "Pick me up at the freeway."

"The cops are arriving." Zack shouted as the first of the cruisers moved into view. "Billy, it's time to go."

As they left and the cops arrived, Francoise looked around in a panic. Observing the scene, Francoise just jumped into his patrol car and gunned the engine. Zack narrowly jumped out the way as he careered through the fence and onto the road.

"Someone's getting away." Zack called out.

"There's nothing we can do about that." Billy replied. "Let's just get out of here."

As the scene unfolded, Devin watched the carnage from his bedroom window. Seeing the patrol car leave, his blood boiled as he realised Francoise was going to get away, but instead of the freeway, he seemed to be heading into town. Devin grabbed his coat and surged towards the door.

"Devin, where are you going?" Cassidy asked him.

"He's heading for the church." He told her. "He must have stashed something there."

"Devin, let it go, he…"

"I promised Katya he wouldn't hurt her again!" Devin roared, charging from the room. "There's no way he's getting out of this."

Speeding along the freeway, Kimberly pulled in to the breakdown lane as Jason arrived, charging across a field.

"I can't believe Billy made my bloody costume PINK!" He roared as he threw himself into the back seat. He looked across, seeing an unidentified woman sitting there. "Who's she?"

"That's Katya's mother." Kimberly informed him as she turned back onto the freeway. "As for the costume, I did that. It was a long time coming, but I finally got payback."

"You have one long memory." Jason grumbled, crossing his arms defiantly.

"It goes with the territory of being a woman." Trini told him.

Francoise made his way into the church, placing his gun down on the altar as he approached the lectern. He grabbed the false panel at the front and yanked it out, revealing the hidden compartment there.

"I have to access the retirement fund a little earlier than I intended to." He remarked, taking out the briefcase.

"You won't need money in maximum security!" Devin barked, announcing his arrival. "You've caused misery to all those people! You're the worst sort of scum."

"Now you've had your say, get out of the way." Francoise ordered him.

"You're going to have to go through me." Devin screamed, throwing himself at the larger man, bearing him to the ground. He pounded his face ferociously with his fist. "She's just a kid and you dared to raise a hand to her?"

"You're going to have to narrow it down." He laughed through bloodied teeth as he reached out for some form of weapon. "I had a few runaways to deal with." At this, he reached a collection plate and brought it across Devin's skull, sending him onto the floor. Getting up, he kicked him hard in the ribs. Devin grabbed his leg, holding it in an attempt to prevent him fleeing the scene.

"Let go of me you stubborn fool." He yelled, bringing the heel of his boot into Devin's skull. Try as he might, Devin could no longer hold on. Francoise grabbed an incense burner, wielding it menacingly. He stood over Devin, preparing to finish him off.

"I hope she was worth it." He hissed as he prepared to strike. Suddenly, a gunshot rang through the church, and Francoise collapsed to the floor, clutching his shoulder. Looking up, Devin saw Katya by the altar, holding Francoise's gun.

"You not hurt Devin." She stated coldly, approaching the man who'd caused her such pain, levelling the gun at his head. "You not hurt me, you not hurt anyone again!"

"He won't, I promise." Devin said softly, pulling himself back to his feet and approaching her slowly. He reached out his hand. "Give me the gun Katya; let the police deal with him."

"He bad man." Katya responded. "He deserve be punished."

"He will be." Devin said. "But you're not like him. You can't do this, please, give me the gun."

"I not bad person." She replied, handing Devin the gun. "We leave."

"If you think I'm going to spend one second in prison, you're sadly mistaken." Francoise taunted him. "If anything, I might get you two sent down for shooting me."

"Not when I have this." Cassidy interjected, moving into view with Devin's video camera.

"Meet the missus." Devin chirped cheerfully as she came over to his side. "Isn't she a keeper?"

With that, they turned and left the church, leaving Francoise lying on the floor to explain all this to the police.

Zack and Billy were sitting in the hotel bar when Devin, Cassidy and Katya got back.

"What happened to you?" Billy asked as he noticed Devin's injuries.

"Francoise was trying to skip town." He told them. "We stopped him."

"The cops should find enough evidence in the three yards to send a lot of them down for a long time." Zack said with confidence.

Kimberly, Trini and Jason arrived in the door behind them. "Is Katya awake?" Jason asked.

"Katya's here." Devin told them, gesturing to the young girl.

"There's someone here she should see." Trini stated. At that, Katya's eyes lit up when she walked in the room.

"Mama!" She yelled, rushing to her mother and hugging her enthusiastically.

"You take care of Katya." Her mother addressed them, the joy obvious in her voice. "You save us. Thank you."

Katya crossed over to Devin, pulling him down and kissing him softly on the cheek. "Devin take care of me." She told her mother. "Devin very kind."

Her mother came over to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for looking after my Katya."

"You're welcome." Devin answered, by now becoming a little embarrassed. "She's a very special girl."

Jason reached into his back pocket, pulling out an envelope and handing it to Katya's mother. "Take this." He said. "It's not much, but it will help for a while."

Katya's mother looked into the envelope, and almost collapsed as she saw what was inside.

"Thank you all, you all so kind." She reiterated.

"We're glad we could help." Trini told her.

As Katya and her mother made their way back upstairs, Trini leant over to her husband.

"You gave her your wages from Ouvellier, didn't you?" She asked him.

"Well, it's not like he had payroll numbers." Jason commented. "At least the money can do some good."

"You really are an old softie aren't you?" Zack commented.

"I suppose so." He replied. "You guys were great."

"Come on, say it." Kimberly goaded him. "For old time's sake?"

"Alright." He relented. "You were morphinominal."

"So how did the morphers bear up?" Trini asked. "Does this qualify as a success?"

"Sadly no." Billy answered. "The power completely burned them out. There's nothing that can be salvaged. It'll be years before I can replicate enough of the technology to make it stable."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Kimberly told him. "I really am."

"They were here when we needed them." He sighed. "That's the main thing, right? They went to a good cause, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

With that, they all made their way upstairs for a well-earned rest.


	14. Leaving Canada

The following morning, Kimberly made her way downstairs to find the other former Rangers already in the breakfast room. Billy hailed her over as another round of toast arrived.

"Did everyone sleep well last night?" Kimberly asked. "I was so out of it I was in a coma the minute I hit the mattress."

"I know." Trini replied with a yawn. "You were snoring like a chainsaw all night."

"I don't snore!" She protested. "David never complains."

"You just get used to these things." Jason began, only to have Trini hold up a hand in warning.

"If you want to stay married, I suggest you reconsider getting into this conversation." She warned him.

"Well it looks like we all had a more relaxing night than Francoise." Zack remarked, pointing to the front page of the newspaper. Cassidy had obviously phoned in her story in time for the late night news. "It says that the authorities are questioning no less than 27 people in connection with the case, including an officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police."

"Does it say anything about Ouvellier?" Kimberly asked. Zack read on a bit, but Kimberly could tell it was not good news as his shoulders slumped and he shook his head slowly.

"It says he was shot dead in his office." Zack informed her.

"Kim, it's ok." Trini said soothingly as her friend stared off into space, her eyes sparkling a little. "I'm sure there'll be other leads, and we saved all those other people."

"We can't question him." She breathed, her heart falling a little. "I was so close. Closer than I've ever been!"

"Something will turn up." Billy told her sympathetically. "I'm sure Cruger will turn something up."

"Who's Cruger?" Zack asked.

"He's the base commander at SPD earth." Billy answered.

"He's the one who's been helping me up until now." Kimberly breathed, sniffing back a tear as she wiped her eyes. "I'm really sorry guys; it's hard not to get like this. It always hurts when I hit a dead end like this."

"We understand." Trini whispered. "I know I'd be in bits if anything happened to Austin."

"We're all here for you." Zack chipped in. "We'll always be here."

"Thanks guys." Kimberly replied, finally managing to get some composure.

"It's just a shame we never got to see Jason break with tradition." Trini chimed in, breaking the mood with reference to Kimberly's prank. "I think he'd have looked pretty cute in pink."

"Oh yeah, you became the first male Pink Ranger." Zack laughed. "I'd have loved to see that!"

"I guess it's a good thing I'm pretty secure about my masculinity." He chuckled, finally seeing the funny side. "At least the sanctity of the Red Ranger position's still intact."

"Actually, in Tommy's last team the Red Ranger was a girl." Kimberly informed him.

"You're kidding!" Jason responded in shock.

"She's not." Zack confirmed. "I met her at the funeral for Kira's producer in Vegas. What's her name again?"

"Charisma." Kimberly reminded him. "Cruger made her the Red SPD Ranger after she helped me out in Glasgow."

"Aw man, that was a tradition!" Jason complained loudly. "How could Tommy let the side down like that? As a former Red it was his duty to preserve the sanctity of the Red Ranger position."

"I don't think he had a choice in the matter." Kimberly told him. "Like the Dino Gem powers, the Soulfire Crystal chose it's recipients, not the other way around."

"Besides, what's wrong with a girl being the leader?" Trini asked him.

"I've got to hear this!" Zack commented, leaning in with interest as he realised that Jason had once again talked himself into trouble."

"I agree with that, this should be entertaining." Billy said with a smile, also leaning in a little closer and looking at Jason.

"Look, all I'm saying is that the Red Ranger has always been a guy!" Jason responded in a panicked voice. "It's just the way of things."

"So are you saying a girl couldn't lead a team?" Trini asked him.

"No, I'm just saying that the Red Ranger's always been male." He reiterated. "I mean what if we have to go on another Red Ranger mission?"

"Warning! Warning! Danger! Danger!" Zack said in a robotic tone of voice, starting to giggle as he saw the expression on Trini's face.

"Mayday, the ship is going down!" Billy interjected, taking great amusement in his friend's ability to stick his foot in his mouth.

"What difference would that make?" Kimberly asked him.

"That's what I'd like to know." Trini pressed him, giving him a withering look.

Jason by now was really beginning to panic; he always knew he was in trouble when he raised his wife's temper. "It would affect the group dynamic, I mean one girl amongst all those guys and…"

"You're in a hole Jase." Zack said, by now unable to sit upright with laughter. "For the love of God put down the spade and stop digging!"

Billy and Kimberly contented themselves by watching and laughing as Jason collapsed further into his chair, completely defeated.

"I'm sorry honey." He muttered. Trini just smiled at him and started laughing. She always caught him with the 'I'm angry' fake out. She knew Jason was terrified of her temper when she blew her top, and found faking a temper was a good way to rein him in.

"I don't mind." She told him. "Besides, if you did do another Red only mission it's Charisma I'd feel sorry for."

"All that testosterone in one place," Kimberly sighed, imagining the scene "the poor girl wouldn't last the return trip."

"Good morning Cassidy, Devin." Billy said loudly to inform the group of their arrival in the breakfast room. With that, all Ranger talk stopped.

"Morning guys." Cassidy greeted them with a cheerful wave as she made her way to the table.

"I see your story made the late news." Jason commented.

"A whole crew will be coming down here today." Cassidy said with a broad smile. "I've just landed the scoop of the year, and it isn't over yet! No one else was investigating this."

"Who knows, maybe this will land you a Pulitzer." Zack complimented her.

"Thanks for everything you guys did." Kimberly said, taking a sip from her coffee. "If you hadn't exposed the yards, the evidence might have disappeared."

"We're just glad we could help." Devin interjected. "Katya and her mother are being taken as witnesses, so they get to stay in the country while the trial's being held, which should take a while."

"The weird thing is they got a call from immigration." Cassidy told them. "Apparently they're reviewing their case, which may end up with them being able to stay permanently."

Kimberly smiled a little. She had a feeling Cruger may have used a little of his political pull to start the ball rolling on that account.

"Until then, they're both staying here as our guests." Larry informed them, approaching with their breakfasts.

"I would have thought you wouldn't have been able to afford that." Trini said.

"With the haulage yard closing again, I'd have thought business would be pretty quiet." Kimberly agreed.

"The Government's paying for their stay." He informed them. "They've been officially sequestered here for the trial."

"I'm really glad things seem to be working out for them." Jason remarked. "Katya's a great kid; she deserves to be happy after everything that's happened."

Cassidy's cell phone ringing interrupted the conversation.

"Who could be calling at this time of the morning?" She wondered out loud. Seeing the name on caller I.D., she gave an excited yelp and answered, leaving the room to talk. "Kira, I can't believe you've finally found time to call, how are you?"

Devin watched her leave, chuckling to himself. "That's just the icing on the cake, the scoop of the year and finally getting through to Kira. She's been trying to get hold of her to line up some interviews for months."

"It's good how everything worked out." Kimberly sighed. "I just wish there was some way we could get some news about the babies sold in this area."

"Did you say something about the baby sales?" Larry asked.

"You know about that?" Kimberly asked.

"This town's seen more than it's fair share of trouble." He told them. "When news of the arrests in Las Vegas hit, the gang upped and left the haulage yard, but they didn't take everything with them."

"There's one baby unaccounted for in this area." Kimberly told him. "They never found it."

"That's because it was never sold." He told them. "When news of the arrests hit the town, the gang just abandoned the yard, and they left her there. My son Phillipe was using the yard as a shortcut and heard her crying. Dr. Oswald checked her out and made sure she had all the appropriate vaccinations."

"What happened to her?" Kimberly asked. "My daughter's still missing! Is there a chance she's mine?"

"I'm afraid not Mrs. Goodman." He sighed as he recalled the event. "Dr. Oswald contacted some of his old med school colleagues in Vegas and got them to compare her heel prick samples with the mothers. They found she belonged to one of the mothers who'd been killed. Dr. Oswald took her in and has looked after her ever since." He crossed over to her as he saw her shoulders slump, her moment of hope gone. "I really wish things were different."

"I'm just glad she ended up in a good home." Devin said, trying to alleviate the feeling in the room. "I've met Dr. Oswald, he's a good man. He really took care of Katya." He paused for a second as the thought occurred to him. "That's why he had no problem destroying her records and didn't ask questions."

"He's used to keeping secrets." Larry confirmed. "She doesn't know he's raised her as his own."

"Well at least we know one more kid's alright." Jason stated.

"That just leaves four to find." Kimberly sniffed, trying to halt her tears. "She's already six years old guys! It's killing me not knowing."

"You'll find her." Trini reassured her again. "I know it."

"Trini and I will drop you off in New Tech on our way home." Jason told her. "Thanks for the breakfast Larry, it was great."

"You're all welcome." He told the Rangers as they left. "Have a safe trip, feel free to drop in if you're ever back in the area."

"We might just do that." Jason stated. "See you guys."

As the Rangers left for their journey home, Katya and her mother entered. Katya rushed over to their table.

"Good Morning Devin." She greeted him. "How you?"

"I'm fine thanks." Devin answered. "I hear you get to stay here for a while."

She nodded excitedly. "I no have go home." She told him. "Maybe never have go home, they still to say."

"Well I hope everything works out for you." He said. "Your mother and I can join us if you like."

"We would like very much." Her mother answered. They both sat down across from Devin. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He answered. Just then, Cassidy bounded back into the room.

"Kira's set me up with a few interviews next week!" She shrieked excitedly. "She's finally got a clearing in her schedule, isn't that great?"

"It really is Cass." Devin replied, kissing his wife as she sat down.

"Awww that cute." Katya said as she began her cereal. "I hope I find husband like Devin."

"I'm sure you will." Cassidy told her. "A pretty young thing like you should have no trouble with boys."

As Katya began enthusiastically devouring her cereal, turning a little red at Cassidy's compliment, Cassidy leant in closer to her husband.

"Devin, you know that project we started talking about?" She asked him. "That thing we were talking about in the church yesterday?"

"Yeah?" He replied.

"I think we should." She told him, looking into his eyes. "I think it's a good idea."

"Do you mean that?" He asked her.

"Yes, I do." She replied. "I think it would be great."

Devin couldn't disguise his joy as a large, dopey grin crossed his face. Cassidy had given him the greatest gift she ever could.


	15. Rotten Core of the Big Apple

A/N: I just had to get this chapter up before my birthday tomorrow, Hope you all enjoy it. The character introduced in the video of this chapter, Draco, is based on the Southern Californian professional wrestler Super Dragon. Needless to say, he owns the rights to his image, moves, character etc. I don't.

Ouvellier's death had essentially killed off any leads they had on the case, and the remaining two locations were no longer in use. Three painfully uneventful years passed without word of any major leads. Kimberly awoke in her room, again looking at the steadily growing shrine of unopened birthday and Christmas presents and feeling the crushing despair of the hopelessness of her quest.

"Mom, hurry up it's time to go." Joe called out as he rushed into the room. The years had been good to Joe, and a couple of healthy growth spurts had put him at the taller end of his elementary class.

"We need to get something to eat first sweetie." She reminded him.

"But I want to go to the fair!" He whined.

"It's on all this week." Kimberly groaned. "It'll still be there in an hour. Now, go to the mess hall, I'll be through shortly."

Joe sprinted from the room with an unbridled excitement. He loved funfairs, and he'd nagged his parents endlessly about it since he heard one was coming to town. They'd finally given in to his request when he had scored highly on his aptitude test at the end of first grade. It made Kimberly smile to see her son so happy. David came through from the en suite, putting his arms around her.

"He's amazing isn't he?" He commented. "I'm really looking forward to spending the day with both of you. The fair should be great!"

"I'm sure it will be." Kimberly replied.

"Let's go get breakfast." He said to her, shaking her gently. "If we let Joe choose his own breakfast, he'll be so full of sugar we'll never be able to slow him down."

"I suppose you're right." Kimberly sighed, making her way into the en suite. "I'll just get dressed. Go on ahead, I'll be through shortly."

David found Joe at the table, perusing the vast array of cereals thoughtfully. Grabbing some toast himself, he looked around for available seating, but was finding slim pickings. Unfortunately training hadn't started yet, and so almost every staff member on the base was in the mess hall at the moment. Normally they went in a little later to prevent this. Continuing to look around, he saw Charisma waving him over from the table she, Colin, Dippy and Scott had secured. Collecting Joe from the buffet station, he accepted the invitation and sat down.

"It's not often we see you for breakfast." Charisma commented. She'd grown up a lot in the three years she'd been serving with the team. The dyed streaks in her hair were gone, and she 

now tended to brush it back into a tidy, practical pony tail. Bizarrely considering what she was like when he'd met her, she'd actually become quite serious-minded and studious, taking her training and her job very seriously. Dressed in regulation training gear of plain black tracksuit trousers and a red t-shirt, only her intricate sleeve tattoo and the black X she drew on the back of her hand each morning stood out as a testament to her past. While some instructors weren't exactly happy about the X, her dedication and accomplishments in her short time with the team had afforded her a little leeway with the regulations.

"We're going to the fair!" Joe told her excitedly.

"That sounds like fun." Dippy answered him with the excitement of a big kid. She too had changed a lot in her time with the team. She had been studying a lot of courses in her spare time and had gained quite a few qualifications in varied fields. Just like Charisma, she also took her training seriously and had changed her physique quite a bit. She was no longer the skinny young girl he had met a couple of years ago, she now had a more toned physique. The two rings on the fourth finger of her left hand gave away the other change she'd made in her life. "I always loved the fair as a kid."

"You love the fair now." Scott chuckled. He'd changed most of all out of the four. Since having free access to SPD's superior medical facilities, many of his scars had been cosmetically treated. The facial scar he had under his nose now only showed a little when he smiled or laughed and most of the scars on his torso had been all but completely removed. Unfortunately the damage to his hand was still too extensive to be completely repaired, so he still had a limited range of motion in his fingers. He now only wore a black fingerless glove on his bandaged right hand, so that he could wear his wedding ring. "You all but dragged me along the pavement to the last one!"

"So she's a big kid." Colin interjected. Colin hadn't changed much at all. As much as his physique had improved a little, he still refused to get a regulation haircut, and his hair still occasionally fell into his eyes. His instructors had tried to get him to cut it more regularly, and a bit shorter, but they couldn't really make him. "I still watch cartoons; it doesn't hurt to satisfy your inner child once in a while."

"Well I'm sure you'll have a lovely time." Dippy continued, ignoring the two boys. "We've got a mammoth training session to look forward to."

"I'm sure the fair will still be there tonight." Charisma informed them.

"That's what mommy said." Joe told them.

"But I want to go now." Dippy moaned as a joke and pouted.

"Dippy, he has an excuse, he's 7. You're 21." Charisma reminded her. She turned back to David. "So is Kimberly going too?"

"I've managed to convince her to come." David informed them. "It's been ages since we all had a day off site together."

"Hi there guys." Kimberly greeted them, finally arriving at the table. "How are things?"

"They're pretty quiet at the moment." Colin told her. "But Cruger's planning to go public within the next year."

"I'm not looking forward to having THAT talk with mom and dad." Dippy interjected. "They still think I'm at uni."

"My mom and Roy are just as protective." Scott groaned. "It took me three days to convince them I'd be OK to go to uni here, they'll freak when they realise I've been a Ranger for five years on and off!"

"Well it will be an interesting conversation." Kimberly said thoughtfully. "Thankfully I never had to tell my folks, but I suppose if you're going to have public identities it kind of goes with the territory."

"Hey guys." Ethan greeted them as he brought over his lap top. "I want your opinion on something. Someone sent me this video he purchased over the net. He says it's some kind of underground fight club."

"Aren't you the computer genius?" Charisma asked him.

"It's not about the computer." Ethan explained. He noted that Joe was sitting there and decided it was best he didn't show them the footage. "I'm a bit rusty on unarmed combat; I wanted your opinion if the footage is genuine. Could you come to the lab?"

"We've only got the assault course to look forward to, so I guess we could delay that." Colin answered him. "We'll be there after breakfast."

A short time afterwards, they entered the lab, finding Ethan surveying the footage.

"Why are you so concerned about this?" Charisma asked. "Even if the footage is genuine, prize fighting isn't really our main concern."

"It's bothering me because it looks like one of the guys in the video gets killed." Ethan informed them. "Watch this."

Plugging his lap top into the main computer, the footage came up on the big screen. The fight appeared to have been shot in a nightclub of some description, though in it's centre, instead of a dance floor, there appeared to be some form of cage approximately thirty feet in diameter. A couple of broken down cars and a few crates and barrels littered the floor. Balconies extended around the higher levels of the club, allowing patrons a better view than the ground floor. The footage moved inside the cage, where it could be seen assorted weapons were being thrown into the cage.

"Tonight's first challenger comes from Boston Mass. and weighs in at 187 pounds, the Terminator." A small wiry man wearing black knee-length shorts walked into the cage to a cascade of catcalls and jeers.

"This is probably bogus." Colin stated. "It looks too showy, like a wrestling match or something."

"Wait for the fight to start." Charisma chastised him.

"And the man defending the honour of the circus, and a 200,000 dollar prize, from California, weighing in at 200 pounds, one of the circus' most popular warriors, here he is, Draco!"

"Why do they call it the circus?" Scott asked.

"Circus Maximus." Dippy and Colin responded together.

"The Circus Maximus was the arena the gladiators fought in." Dippy continued. "They probably called it that for dramatic effect."

They watched as the man entered the cage. He appeared to be taller than his opponent, and he was clearly more heavily built. He wore a jeans and a black t-shirt with the name "Draco" across it, though more noticeable was that he was wearing a black mask, completely covering his head. The face was printed with a design like a dragon's face, and a crest of vicious looking spikes topped his head.

"It's obviously a fake." Colin began. "It's probably just…"

His words were cut off as the match started. The challenger surged forward, connecting with a couple of vicious punches to the head.

"Ok, THAT was real." Scott stated.

As they continued to watch, Draco took control, locking one of Terminator's arms and pounding him viciously with a couple of kicks to the ribs, before shoving him back a little and spin-kicking him in the face. Terminator dragged himself to his feet as the crowd began chanting for Draco.

"This is horrible." Dippy gasped.

"It's definitely not make-believe." Charisma concluded.

Terminator grabbed a pick-axe handle from the floor, swinging it wildly. Draco ducked a couple of swings, before launching a springboard attack off the cage wall, connecting with his head savagely, sending him face first to the floor. Trying to haul himself back to his feet, Draco brought his right foot above his head, before bringing it down in a destructive arc into his spine. Terminator collapsed to the floor and floundered there like a beached whale, screaming in agony. Dippy turned from the screen for a second.

"What happened?" She asked.

"His axe kicked him in the spine." Scott commented. "He's probably just broken his back!"

As the crowd continued to chant, Draco proceeded to grapevine Terminator's legs with one of his own, before grabbing his arms and arching him backwards as he screamed in agony. Draco looked to the balcony.

"Now all of you must decide does he deserve to leave with his life?" The announcer called out. A few short seconds later, the decision had been made. The baying wolves had spoken. He placed his free foot on the back of Terminator's neck, and releasing his hands, drove downwards as hard as he could. All five of them flinched and turned from the screen, though the horrendous wet snap informed them the result. Finally turning back to the screen, they observed the lifeless form of the unfortunate fighter lying on the floor. Draco left the cage amid the cheers of the crowd.

"There is no way that was bogus." Scott announced. "That guy's neck was definitely broken."

"I can't believe people would pay to watch this." Dippy breathed gently. The horror on her face couldn't be denied; she looked to be struggling not to be sick.

"Where did you get this?" Charisma asked.

"I found it on the net." He told them. "It costs 15,000 dollars to download."

"You spent 15,000 dollars on this?" Charisma asked.

"No, with some creative programming I managed to steal it from them." He replied. "It's not like they're able to report me is it?"

"I have to ask again, why are you showing this to us?" Charisma asked. "Surely the cops can handle this."

"It's not the crime itself I'm interested in." Ethan told them. He rewound the footage several frames, pausing it. "Through that window, you get a small glimpse of skyline." Ethan told them, enhancing the image. "I've located the club as being in New York City."

"So?" Scott asked.

"I also located an errant background noise." He told them. Playing the sound, they didn't need him to explain. "It's a plane, less than a mile up, probably coming in to land, or taking off."

"So it's close to an airport." Charisma surmised.

"Lastly, look at this." He advanced the footage a few frames before pausing it. Enhancing the image on a crate in the cage, they saw a company logo.

"Mr. Pussykin's cat food?" Dippy asked. "Why are you interested in that?"

Ethan pulled up the statement from Knox interview, scrolling through it and highlighting the relevant statement.

"_The east coast contact operated out of New York. His codename was Johnny Four, and his pickup location was Mr Pussykin's cat food factory east of JFK."_

"That's way too thin for an investigation." Charisma stated. "Cruger would never clear it."

"I'm the first one to admit it's too thin to launch an investigation on." Ethan told them. "But it is something I think Kimberly should know about."

"Do you really think telling her about this is going to help?" Scott asked him.

"It's not like the last three years have brought about anything else to look into." Ethan reminded them. "I think it's worth looking at."

"OK, tell her." Charisma responded. "But we can't get involved. We'll need to rely on Cruger sorting out some help for her."

Kimberly returned from a long day at the fair with Joe and David. She was tired, but happy none-the-less. It had been a great outing, and had really made Joe light up. He bounced around the place still full of beans. Ethan arrived in the doorway, knocking the frame gently. He'd had second thoughts, but he knew he had to tell her. Kimberly looked up.

"Hi Ethan." She greeted him. "Why are you looking so serious?"

"Kimberly, could we talk in private?" He asked. She accompanied him to the hall, at which he handed over the folder he was carrying. "It's not much, I'm not sure it's anything at all, but I think this might have something to do with the New York operation."

Kimberly looked over the folder quickly, barely able to take anything in. "Do you really think this could be it?" She asked.

"It's all we have." He responded. "We can't investigate, it isn't enough to warrant sending a team, but we can give you this information for you to check it out."

"I'll need some help." She told him.

"Cruger's thought about that." He told her. "Someone will meet you in New York."

"Who?" She asked.

"It's someone who'll be able to infiltrate the fight club," Ethan told her, "who, as he would put it, can kick ass and look good doing it." He handed her another file. She looked over the document inside, and smiled.

"I think Doggie might have been right in his choice with this one." She commented. "How quick can I get a flight to New York?"

"You're booked on a flight to JFK tomorrow at 10 AM." Ethan told her, handing her a ticket. "You might want to enjoy the rest of the night with Joe."

Kimberly hugged the younger man in an unspoken gratitude, and made her way back into the bedroom. David was playing, and losing, a video game with his son as she arrived. He looked over at his wife, seeing the files and ticket in her hand and knew what she was about to say.

"They've found something, haven't they?" He whispered as he came to her side.

"I'm going to New York in the morning." Kimberly told him. "I don't know how long I'll be gone, I don't even know if they've found anything, but I have to know, I just have to."

David pulled her into a deep hug, kissing the top of her head before releasing her. He turned back to his son and sat down.

"Mommy's going away for a little while." He explained.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." She told him. She could already see the disappointment in his face. This was not the way he wanted the day to end.

"Will you be away long?" He asked.

"I'll be home as soon as I can." She replied. "I promise."

Joe hugged his mother before heading off to bed; it broke her heart to see Joe leave like that. Things had been hard for her, but she knew Joe had been affected by her enforced absences. She sometimes thought he resented her leaving, but she knew he'd never understand why she was going. There was no way he could understand everything that had happened to her.

"I'll take care of him." David said, noticing the start of a few tears. "He'll be fine."

"Will he?" Kimberly asked. "Sometimes I feel like I'm letting him down."

"You're a great mom." David reassured her. "He just hates to see you go."

"You really are both amazing." Kimberly sighed. "I could never have come this far if it wasn't for you."

"I just hope you find something." David told her, kissing his wife once more. "I'll help you pack."

Kimberly found herself staring at yet another uninspiring airline meal the next day as the plane carried her across to the East Coast. In all those years, they still couldn't find a decent meal on a plane. Kimberly gave up on the food after her second bite and just shoved it aside. She knew she'd be able to get something when she got to Manhattan.

Arriving in JFK early in the morning, she made her way through customs, finding to her surprise that a man was standing in the arrivals area, holding a placard with her name on it.

"I'm Kimberly Goodman." She told him. "Are you here to collect me?"

"I am." He told her. He was quite a bit taller than Kimberly, and had a toned, muscular physique. A mop of messy blonde hair topped his head, and he had icy blue eyes. His smile softened the expression slightly. "I'm Hunter, Hunter Bradley. I'm here to take you to the base of operations."

"Base of operations?" Kimberly asked a little confused.

"We ninjas like to be prepared." He told her. "I'll introduce you to the others."

"Where's your car?" She asked as Hunter collected her luggage and led her through the airport.

"It's just outside." He told her as they made their way outside. He made his way to a crimson Mitsubishi Charisma, putting her bag in the boot.

"You got a ticket." She stated, pointing to the piece of paper on the windscreen. "I'm sorry, I'll pay for it."

"Only if you really want to." He explained, handing her the ticket. She stifled a small laugh as she read the ticket.

"Pay the city of fake place?" She asked. "It's a fake."

"But most parking attendants only look at the time and date on a ticket." He told her. "If they think a car's already been hit that day, they won't ticket it again."

"That's smart!" Kimberly remarked.

"If there's anything we ninjas know about," he continued with a grin, "it's subterfuge."

A short time later, they arrived at a dilapidated apartment block a short way from the airport.

"That's the Shockwave." Hunter explained, pointing to the nightclub across the street as they pulled up next to the apartment block. "It's a nightclub that used to be a cat food factory."

"Let me guess," Kimberly groaned, "Mr. Pussykin's?"

"Exactly." Hunter told her. "Not even five minute's drive from JFK."

"Have you been inside yet?" She asked.

"Not yet, we only got into town yesterday." He told her.

Following Hunter up the rotting wooden stairs of the abandoned apartment block, she was surprised to find a steel door. Hunter knocked the door, and a camera came out. He groaned loudly.

"Stop screwing around Cam, who else knows we're here?" He grumbled. The camera shot back inside, and the door opened. Kimberly was in awe as they made their way inside. Unlike the rest of the building, the woodwork was fresh, the lights worked and there was 

power. A large computer sat at the opposite end of the room. An Asian man a little shorter than Hunter, wearing a green shirt approached them.

"Cam, this is Kimberly." Hunter told him.

"I know, I was the one that received the message, remember?" He answered. "I'm Cam, the others are just coming."

Three young men and a Blonde woman entered the room. "You're Kimberly Right?" The woman asked as she extended a hand. "I'm Tori. The one in Navy's my husband Blake."

"Pleased to meet you." He greeted her with a handshake.

"I'm Shane, former Red Wind Ranger." He introduced himself.

"I'm Dustin." Dustin chipped in.

"We know about the fight club." Cam told her. "But we need to infiltrate it. We're planning to send one of us in as a new fighter, while we investigate from here."

"I can't ask any of you to put yourselves at risk like that." Kimberly rushed out in panic. "They hold death matches, I couldn't..."

"You're not asking us to do anything." Shane said reassuringly. "We all chose to come for this assignment."

"Besides, not all the fights are death matches." Cam informed her. "All new fighters are put through a screening process of preliminary fights before graduating to the screened fights."

"So the only fights that are screened are the death matches." Kimberly surmised.

"That appears to be the case." Cam continued. "They then face the three Gladiators of the Circus."

"There are three of these sickos?" Kimberly quizzed him.

"Draco, Zero G and Spartacus." Cam told her. "If he wins the first fight, the challenger earns 200,000 dollars. If he wins the second, he wins 1 million."

"What if he wins all three?" Kimberly asked.

"If he wins all three, he has to kill the third opponent." Cam explained. "Then he earns his place as the third Gladiator and earns the prize purse of every fight he enters after that."

"If he loses?" Kimberly inquired, already knowing the answer.

"The crowd decide if he lives or dies." Cam stated bluntly. "And it's not often they spare a fighter."


	16. Open Tryouts

"The club across the street used to be the cat food factory." Cam informed them, pulling up records on his computer. "Back then it belonged to a man named John Cleaver. He operated small scale prize fights from the factory and sold video tapes of the fights for profit. We're pretty sure he was Johnny Four."

"He wasn't real original when picking his nickname." Shane explained. "During a turf war in 1987, a rival tried to assassinate him. He ended up with one finger short of a full set."

"So is he still running the show?" Kimberly asked.

"Not any more." Cam told her. "He was known as 'the bullet dodger' because no matter how many times someone tried to take him out, he somehow escaped, but two years ago his luck finally ran out."

"His daughter Maxine took over the operation." Shane continued. "She took the small-time fights and upped the brutality, starting the death matches. She found that by doing that she could increase the price of the video footage several times over."

"It sounds like she's as ruthless as her old man." Kimberly stated.

"She definitely isn't afraid of creating a mess." Tori chipped in. "Since she took over, the operations profits have gone through the roof."

"Let's just hope she knows something about the kids." Kimberly said. "So what's the plan? Who's going in?"

"I am." Hunter answered. "I'll pose as a new fighter. They're having open tryouts tonight."

"We'll keep an eye on things out here." Cam told him. "Don't do anything stupid. If things start to get ugly, we'll come in and help you out."

"It's no problem." Hunter said, placing a hand on Cam's shoulder. "What could go wrong?"

"When you're involved, just about anything can happen." Blake interjected. Hunter grabbed a pair of gloves and threw them at his brother.

"I'll set you up with a wireless mike." Cam told him.

"We'll try to find another way in." Shane continued. "Hopefully we can get this wrapped up before anyone else gets killed."

"I'll see you guys later." Hunter told them, picking up his kit bag. "Wish me luck."

"I really don't think this is the best plan." Kimberly said thoughtfully. "Hunter's taking a huge risk."

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Blake sighed. "I've known Hunter all my life, and he has this habit of walking away without a scratch."

"I really hope you're right." Tori interjected. "I'd really hate having to come up against that freak in the video."

Hunter approached the front entrance of the club, finding a couple of big security guards standing there.

"I heard there are open tryouts here today." Hunter told them.

"Are you sure you're in the right place?" One of the guards chuckled. "You'll get eaten alive."

"I'm a big boy." Hunter said with a smirk. "Can I get in?"

"It's your funeral." The guard answered as he waved him inside. Hunter looked around, noting the fighters warming up. Seeing the cage in the centre of the room, he knew he'd hit pay dirt.

"Let's have the first two fighters." A woman called out, arriving in the room. She had fiery red hair and cold, green eyes which surveyed the scene thoughtfully through designer glasses. She was wearing a red tank top and black leather trousers. He recognised her from the file Cam had pulled up on her, it was Maxine. Obviously she was there to oversee the preliminaries and make sure she got a couple of good fighters for the games tonight. Hunter hated to admit it, but she was kind of attractive. If she wasn't a complete sociopath, he'd probably have tried to pick her up. A short time later, one of the fighters was dragged from the ring, completely beaten senseless.

"Not bad." Maxine commented to the fighter still in the ring. "You might have potential. That's 15 straight wins in preliminaries; you might put on a good show."

Hunter gave out a little tut and laughed a little.

"Do you have something to say?" The man in the ring spat aggressively.

"Not really." Hunter told him. "If this is the calibre of opponent, then maybe I'm in the wrong place."

"We only take the very best." Maxine interjected. "Of course if you think you have something to offer, then maybe you'd like to show us."

"Glad to." Hunter replied, stepping into the cage and confronting his opponent. His opponent was considerably larger than him, and heavily muscled. Hunter slipped into a guarding stance as the man approached.

"Tell you what." The man said, grabbing his shirt. "I'll make it quick."

As he drew back his fist to strike, Hunter grabbed his arm, twisting it sharply before kicking the man under the jaw. His eyes glazed over and he slumped to the floor unconscious.

"Well, you certainly have some moves." Maxine complimented him. "And you would look pretty good on camera. I would prefer it if you could be a little more…entertaining."

"I don't follow." Hunter responded. Maxine chuckled.

"People don't really like three second matches." She explained. "Try and pad it out a little more. Zero G, show him what I mean!"

A man with long, black messy hair stood up and made his way into the cage as Hunter left. Pulling off his jersey, revealing an impressively toned musculature, he stood in the ring awaiting an opponent.

"Anyone who can beat Zero G will get a bye straight into tonight's games." She announced. Immediately, another fighter entered the cage. Letting out a savage scream, he rushed at Zero G, but was cut off spectacularly as the gladiator jumped directly upwards, slamming both feet into his face before nimbly back-flipping to his feet. He turned around, facing away from his opponent, before performing a spectacular backward somersault, landing back-first on the unfortunate fighter with an ominous crunch. Getting back to his feet, he dragged the fighter back to his feet and held his arms behind his back. He looked over to Maxine.

"It's just preliminaries." She told him. "There's no point killing off-camera, you don't get paid for that."

Zero G shoved the semi-conscious fighter dismissively to the ground before collecting his jersey and putting it back on. Hunter watched him go with a considered gaze. At least now he had seen two of the Gladiators fight, and had some idea of what to expect.

"Zero G really wows the audience." Maxine told him. "I expect all my fighters to do that."

"I'll do my best." Hunter replied. "So am I getting a shot?"

Maxine inspected him carefully. "What's your name?" She asked.

"Hunter." He told her.

"Hunter, hunter." She repeated the name in a mantra, trying to see how it sounded. "How about, 'the Head Hunter'?" She suggested.

"The Crimson Head Hunter." He shot back. Maxine smiled a little.

"I like the sound of that." She responded. "Come back tonight, I'd like you to do a couple of preliminary fights for the camera, but that should only be a formality. I could see you with the Gladiators inside a couple of nights."

"That sounds good." Hunter told her. "I'll be back later tonight." With that, he made his way out of the cage, and left the building. Draco came to Maxine's side as he left.

"I don't like this." He told her. "You're rushing him into the fights before we have a chance to check him out. He might be trouble."

"I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle." Maxine replied. "I just wanted to get him into the ring before someone messes him up too bad. If you really want I can let you deal with him."

"I'd like to see him fight a bit more first." Draco answered.

"As you wish." She said with a shrug. "I'll put you in the ring with him last. Just make sure we get some decent footage for the cameras."

"I always do." Draco chuckled as he left.

"Shame really." Maxine mused. "He was kind of cute."

Kimberly got up off her chair and rushed over as Hunter made his way into the room.

"I'm alright." Hunter confirmed as his friends rushed over to greet him. "I managed to talk my way in with one fight."

"How did you manage that?" Tori asked him.

"Knowing my brother, he probably annoyed someone into fighting him." Blake answered.

"One of the other guys had won 15 preliminaries." Hunter explained. "Since I didn't want to go through all that, I figured if I ticked the guy off and beat him, I might draw some attention from the decision makers."

"Obviously it worked." Tori stated, hugging her brother-in-law. "I'm so glad you didn't get hurt."

"Well that was always my intention." Hunter told them. "I'm going into some preliminary bouts for the cameras tonight. Do you guys have any ideas how to infiltrate the club?"

"I think I might have an idea." Cam told him. "I hope you guys don't mind getting your clothes a little messed up."

"Why do I get the feeling we're going to regret this?" Tori groaned. "How are we going to get in?"

"The same way we get in anywhere else." Cam told them. "Walk straight through the front door."

Hunter arrived back at the club a little after dark, showing his invitation to the security guards at the main door and heading inside. Maxine was there waiting.

"I see you came back." She remarked. "I'm glad to see you weren't scared off by Zero-G's little display."

"I have to admit, he's impressive." Hunter responded. "He's unorthodox, but definitely impressive."

"The fans just love the acrobatic stuff he can do." She commented. "Are you ready for the preliminaries?"

"I sure am." He answered. "Is there any chance I could meet the Gladiators?"

"Well Zero G doesn't really talk much, and Draco doesn't play well with others." She told him. He noticed the masked fighter walking around in the background.

"Does he wear that mask everywhere?" Hunter asked.

"It's just one of his little eccentricities." Maxine told him. "I wouldn't say anything about it, he isn't really too friendly."

"I suppose that goes with the territory." Hunter mused. "So what are you expecting from me tonight?"

"I've got you up against another prospective competitor." She told him. "If you manage to topple him, we'll see about getting you started on the big money fights."

"You really have quite an operation here." Hunter complimented her. "It's amazing that I never really heard much about it until recently."

"When my dad ran things it was strictly small time." Maxine stated. "He never realised how much more money he could be making, he was short-sighted."

"It sounds like you didn't like him all that much." Hunter commented.

"There's a difference between not liking my father," she continued as she headed up to one of the balconies. Hunter followed her, "and not caring when some two bit nobody puts half a dozen bullets in him. Whoever did that did me a favour! This operation's never earned so much money."

This did nothing to ease Hunter's nerves. The woman clearly held no regard for the lives of others. That was her father she was talking about, and all she thought about was how it had improved her business? Did she even have something to do with it?

"Is there somewhere I can get ready?" Hunter asked.

"There's a dressing room in the back." She told him. "Try not to get that face mashed up too much. The crowd always loves a pretty face."

With that, she made her way to her office. Hunter was now more certain than ever that he really just wanted to wrap things up quickly. More than anything else, Maxine scared the hell out of him.

Cam and the others gathered in the old apartment block across the street from the club.

"I've hacked into the camera array, which means we can see inside the club." Cam explained as they waited on their opportunity. "We'll monitor what's happening from here. What it does mean is we'll have to move in quickly if anything happens."

"I really hope Hunter doesn't go getting any brilliant ideas about how to get himself into more trouble." Blake remarked.

"Once we get inside, the objective is to get a hold of Maxine." Cam reminded them. "If she doesn't get caught, then all of this is for nothing."

"I'll see if I can get a closer look." Kimberly told them. "Keep watching, I'll be ready to move."

"Remember, all we can do is try to stop security getting to the cage." Cam told the others. "Tori, you're the only one who still has a morpher. Your objective is to get into the cage and help Hunter. Unfortunately he's the one in the most vulnerable position."

"I'll do that." She responded. "Hunter will be fine."

"I really hope so." Kimberly interjected.

Maxine approached Hunter as he was getting ready for his first fight. Taping up his fists, he sat in the dressing room, unaware of her presence until she placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump.

"Are you nervous?" She asked.

"A little bit." He answered. She walked around him, inspecting his athletic build and thought for a second.

"You might want to take your shirt off." She suggested. "It'll look better for the cameras."

"Just for the cameras?" He asked cheekily, noting the expression she gave him.

"I never mix business and pleasure." She told him. "Of course the better you look, the more likely you are to be advanced quickly. Fighters only get advanced if their fights sell well."

"If you insist." Hunter responded, pulling off his shirt. Maxine smiled and nodded.

"Much better." She told him. "You're on third. Your opponent's one of our real prospects. Take him, and we'll see where you end up."

Hunter made his way over to a monitor, observing the rest of the night unfolding. He needed to be ready; something told him things were going just a little too smoothly.

The others watched the first of the fights take place, watching as the first two fighters entered the cage. Circling each other to gauge their strength, they launched themselves at each other with furious determination. It was not long before things turned ugly and the weapons came into play.

"Hunter's going to have to watch these guys." Kimberly commented. "Even the prospective fighters are pretty brutal."

"Given the amount of money involved I'm not surprised." Cam stated. "Fortunately it looks as though they're more enthusiastic than skilful. Hunter's training should give him the edge."

"Let's just hope it's enough." Tori said as the first fight ended, one of the fighters being knocked out with a brutal attack from a glass bottle. "I'd really like my brother-in-law to still have a face when this is over."

Hunter watched the first loser being dragged past him out of the arena. He had seen the fight and knew now what to expect from his opponent. He just wanted to get his fight over with now, he had a feeling he would probably get more answers by talking with Maxine than by getting in the ring, and he had no desire to go up against the Gladiators. He had noticed Draco hovering around the changing room ominously. He sure as hell wasn't in a hurry to step up against that guy.

Maxine observed the second fight from her office. She could tell from the reaction of the crowd that things were going well. The first fight had been vicious, and if things continued like that, then holding a death match would just propel buy rates through the roof. One of her associates arrived in the office behind her.

"Draco told me what you have in mind." He told her. "Do you really think putting a new guy into a death match is such a great idea?"

"You saw how he handled his audition." She replied. "Draco's good, but the Crimson Head Hunter should give us a good show."

"You really think he'll last?" The associate asked her.

"I think Draco's about due a good challenge." She remarked. "Something tells me that this Hunter isn't a pushover."

"What if he wins?" He asked.

"Worse things have happened." She said with a shrug. "Either way, I have a feeling this fight has money written all over it."

The second loser came out of the cage barely breathing after a brutal match. Hunter began making his way to the ring amid the cheers and whistles of the baying crowd. Looking around, he felt his stomach churning as he climbed into the cage. Warming up stretching off, his opponent entered after him. He was a little shorter than Hunter, with short dark hair. Squaring off and circling him slowly, his opponent prepared a guard, before launching himself forward into a kick. Hunter parried the blow, but his opponent grabbed him into a painful arm bar submission. Feeling his shoulder hyper extending, Hunter rolled to his back, kicking his opponent off him before springing back to his feet.

"You're good." He complimented him.

"I get through this match; I'm moving on to the Gladiators." He replied, snatching up a plank of wood.

"Sorry, but I need that ticket." Hunter responded, kicking the plank aside, before launching his own barrage of attacks. The opponent grabbed his legs, taking Hunter to the ground and crouched over him, pummelling him ferociously. Hunter covered up as much as he could while he searched for an escape route. Snatching his arm, he pulled his opponent to the ground, before wrapping an arm around his neck, squeezing hard as he braced the hold. His opponent struggled for a few seconds, before going limp. Hunter released him before he completely passed out, getting back to his feet.

"Here is your winner, The Crimson Head Hunter!" The announcer called. Hunter stood for a second, taking in the reaction of the crowd as he got his breath back. Cradling his arm, he made his way to the cage door.

"Well he doesn't seem to have been hurt too badly." Cam stated. Suddenly, Draco rushed the cage, yanking the door open and launching Hunter backwards into the ring. Climbing in, the door was locked behind him.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, since the main event was cut short and has left us a little time, Draco has decided to grace us with a bonus match." Maxine announced over the house mike. Hunter got back to his feet and looked around for a way out, but found none. "For the sum of 200,000 dollars, let the game begin!"

"Think that's our cue?" Shane snapped, rushing for the door.

"It's good enough for me." Blake called after him, also rushing for the door with Dustin not far behind him.

"I'll be right with you." Cam shouted as he began working on his computer. "I've got an idea for bringing the cops down here. Tori go with them."

"Ninja Storm, Ranger Form HA!"


	17. Surviving in New York

Hunter took another aggressive flight through the air, smashing against the mesh of the cage. Draco had caught him unawares early on and had been satisfying the crowd's lust for violence by throwing Hunter around the ring like a rag doll. Hunter pulled himself to a seating position against the side of the cage as Draco posed for the crowd, taking in their cheers of approval. Hunter felt a warm trickle running down the side of his face. Reaching up to the side of his head, he pulled his hand away revealing bright red blood leaking from his brow. He looked up in time to see a fan throwing a sledgehammer into the ring. Draco bent over to pick it up.

"Great, not only do I have to fight this guy," Hunter grumbled as he shook loose some cob webs, "I have to take on the crowd too?"

The security guards at the main door were pacing the area to avoid boredom, unaware of the impending assault. Bursting out of the ground behind the first two, Dustin grabbed the first before spin-kicking the second to the ground. Shane and Blake Ninja-streaked to the attack, each taking out another two as Dustin levelled his only remaining foe.

"That's the front door taken care of." Shane commented. "How are Tori and Kimberly doing?"

"Did you ever have any doubts?" Tori asked as she arrived by the door. Kimberly wasn't far behind her.

"No offence Mrs. Goodman, but we all have a few powers we can use, and Tori still has her morpher as you know." Dustin told her. "Maybe you should leave it to us."

"I can't, not when I've already come this far." She replied. "I'm not afraid."

"Man, I wish my mom was that cool." Dustin stated. An evil glare from Kimberly soon silenced him.

"On three." Shane told them. "One…Two…"

"Hold up, room for one more?" Cam asked, arriving behind them."

"I thought you were bringing the cops." Blake responded.

"They'll be here soon enough." Cam answered. "I decided to take her show public."

"Public?" Dustin yelled.

"I hacked into the Times Square Billboard and routed the signal through that." Cam explained. "I overlaid the footage of the fight with the address of the club. It's currently playing live to half of Manhattan!"

"Guess all that's left now is to make sure Maxine doesn't leave before the cops get here." Shane stated.

"That and make sure we get MOST of my brother back intact." Blake interjected.

"On three." Shane repeated. "One…Two…THREE!"

Hunter barely dodged the first swing of the sledge hammer, the head barely clipping his right hand. The pain was intense, and he was sure something was broken, but he could continue. Another couple of savage swings narrowly missed him.

"Stand still!" Draco roared as he swung again.

Hunter rolled out of the way as the hammer struck the engine block of one of the wrecked cars in the ring, spilling oil onto the ground. As Draco lunged once more, his footing became unsure and he stumbled, affording Hunter a break in his offence.

"Now it's my turn!" Hunter yelled back, launching into a leaping kick, connecting solidly with Draco's head. He was a little uneasy on the landing, coming down in the oil, but his superior sense of balance allowed him to regain his footing quickly by placing his hand on the ground. Seeing the lethal sledgehammer, he removed it from the equation by throwing it across the ring.

"Weakling!" Draco yelled, coming back to his feet. Hunter formed a plan to even the odds, retreating a safe distance to the other wrecked car. Charging towards him with a full head of steam and throwing his leg into a running kick, Draco couldn't stop as Hunter opened the car door. His left leg crashed through the window, before Hunter pivoted on the spot, kicking the door shut on his knee. Draco collapsed to the ground screaming in pain.

"Now we're both working on three wheels." Hunter spat aggressively, cradling his hand to his chest.

The remaining five Ninja Rangers were making short work of the security on the door, as panic raised in the building and customers began to flee. Cam had already checked the building schematics and knew that there was only one way in and out, and they were standing right next to it.

"Ignore the spectators." Shane reminded them as he stood aside to let the fleeing crowd run away. "We're here for Maxine."

"I'll head up to the office and find her." Cam called out. "Tori get into the cage and get that psycho away from Hunter."

"Got it." She called out, sprinted in the direction of the cage.

"I guess we've got a short night then." Dustin commented.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Shane remarked, pointing to the balcony, where two men stood, completely unflinching in the panic of the stampede to leave the building.

"The one on the right's Zero G." Blake told them, remembering his Brother's description of him. "By process of elimination the other one must be Spartacus."

As the last of the screaming patrons left, Zero G pulled off his sweatshirt and leapt off the balcony, back-flipping effortlessly in the air and landing nimbly a little way in front of them. Spartacus simply hopped the rail and plummeted to the ground, landing beside Zero G. He was close to seven feet tall and looked to be around the 300 pound mark, all of it muscle. His head was completely shaven, and a vicious looking scar ran from his scalp, narrowly past his right eye, down to his chin.

"Well at least we're not missing any action." Kimberly commented. "Who gets who?"

"Ladies choice." Shane shot back.

"I want the little guy." She answered.

"I'll join you." Dustin told her. "Hopefully that'll make up for…" He reconsidered his next words. "You know."

"Guess that leaves us with the big guy." Shane stated.

"That's fine by me." Blake responded. With that, they launched to the attack.

Hunter had been in control of his match with Draco for a while now, scoring several hard kicks as he lunged to the attack. Hunter sent him to the floor with a hard punch to the side of the head.

"Give it up, you've lost!" Hunter shouted as he advanced on him.

"No one can ever defeat me." Draco roared as he grabbed a brick and brought it into Hunter's gut. "Not even you."

He brought the brick into the side of Hunter's head savagely, sending him to the ground. Writhing there groggily, Hunter tried to regain his bearings as Draco grapevine his legs around his right leg.

"Nice strategy taking out my knee." Draco complimented him as he grabbed Hunter's wrists and yanked him upright painfully. Hunter suddenly came back into reality as he recognised his position and knew what was coming next. "But I'll have more than enough strength in it for this."

"Hunter!" Tori yelled as she began slicing her way through the cage with her Sword. Draco chuckled as he realised she would not reach him in time to save him.

"Another one bites the dust." He hissed. He hadn't noticed, however, that when he steadied himself after landing in the oil, Hunter's hand had become covered in it. Slipping his one hand loose, Hunter managed to rotate out of the destructive path of Draco's stomp. Continuing his roll, he hooked Draco's leg, dragging him to the ground.

"Turnabout is fair play." Hunter yelled as he disentangled himself from his opponent and moved around in front of him, before launching into a devastating spin kick which knocked Draco out cold. Tori arrived beside him as he hauled himself back to his feet.

"Are you ok?" The Blue Ranger asked as Hunter steadied himself on her shoulder.

"Piece of cake!" Hunter gasped as he fought for breath. "Next time, we're asked for a favour, Blake can do it!"

"I'll let him know that." Tori chuckled as she helped him out of the cage.

Cam arrived in the office to find Maxine packing the gate money into a brief case. Turning towards the door, she saw Cam barring her path.

"I don't want to hurt you." Cam told her, shifting into a guarding stance. "But I can't let you leave before the cops get here."

"Who said it was a case of letting me?" She asked, pulling out a gun and opening fire. Cam's quick reactions saved his life, the shot only narrowly grazing his ribcage as he rushed in, grabbing her wrist and twisting it, causing her to drop the gun as a sharp snap came from her wrist.

"You know what, I've changed my mind." Cam told her, elbowing her in the face forcefully and knocking her unconscious. "Now, I do want to hurt you!"

Kimberly could barely land an attack on her far more nimble opponent as she and Dustin pressed the attack. Dustin attempted a spin-kick, but Zero G jumped high in the air, catching Dustin's head between his legs before pulling him over backwards, to land head first on the floor. Kimberly pressed the attack to allow Dustin time to recover.

"You're quite athletic." He complimented her as he landed another solid kick. "I'll bet you were quite a gymnast back in the day."

"What is it with everyone and age jokes?" Kimberly complained as she thrust a hard kick into his abdomen. Zero-G barely flinched at the impact.

"Come on, surely you hit harder than that." He taunted her. He exposed his chin to her. "I'll give you a free shot."

A black and yellow blur streaked past, and the Gladiator fell to the ground unconscious.

"I take it that was an open invitation." Dustin said dryly as he came to Kimberly's side. She stood on her tip toes and kissed him on the cheek.

"Consider yourself forgiven for…you know." She chuckled.

Turning to the centre of the room, they saw Shane and Blake finishing off Spartacus with a double turning kick, sandwiching his head between their feet.

"That sounds like our song." Cam shouted as he ran down the stairs. The sound of police sirens hung in the air. The six Ninja Rangers crowded around Kimberly. "It's time for you to learn a ninja trick."

"Just hold my arm." Dustin told her. "This is so cool."

With that, they threw smoke bombs onto the ground, cloaking their escape as the first police officers arrived.

The following morning, there was practically nothing else on the local news as footage of Maxine and the Gladiators being bundled into police vans and being taken into the police station kept replaying over and over again.

"I really hope all this isn't in vain." Kimberly sighed. "What if she doesn't know anything about her dad's dealings?"

"I just hope me getting my ass kicked was worth it." A heavily-bruised Hunter chuckled.

"Is there anything I can do to make it easier?" Kimberly asked.

"Well, now you mention it, no-one's signed my cast." He told her, presenting his right hand to her. "How about the legendary original Pink Ranger gives me her autograph?"

"I think I can manage that." Kimberly chuckled, grabbing a pen.

"Hold on, something's happening." Cam told them.

"In addition to multiple counts of sale of illegal video, and running full contact events without a licence, Maxine Cleaver is being charged with the murder of her father John Cleaver. John Cleaver, long though killed by a gangland rival, was shot to death two years ago. A gun was found on Ms. Cleaver's body which matches the shots which killed John Cleaver. So far Ms. Cleaver's legal team had declined to comment." The reporter announced. "This is Carrie Walters for Channel 7 news, signing off."

"Well it looks like you'll have all the time in the world to interview Maxine." Shane said thoughtfully. "No doubt your boss can get her transferred to New Tech."

"If she knows anything, and anyone can make her talk it's Cruger." Kimberly replied. "I just wish we had some information about the babies."

"You'll find her." Tori said comfortingly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know you will."

"Anyway, I've got a flight in a couple of hours." Kimberly said, gathering her belongings. "Thanks for all your help guys."

"Hey don't sweat it." Tori told her. "We'd never let a fellow Ranger down. Remember, once a Ranger…"

"Always a Ranger." Kimberly completed the statement.

Maxine was sitting in the interview room with a look of thunder on her face. Her lawyer quailed in fear of her anger, he'd so far failed to find some loophole to get her released on, and she was clearly unhappy at paying fees of that level and still finding herself inside. A detective entered the room with a colleague.

"It's about time you started this interview!" She snapped, flicking a thumb in her lawyer's direction. "The sooner you start talking, the sooner this worthless piece of crap can start finding some loophole or screwed-up procedure to get me off on."

"We're not here to interview you." The detective began. "We're here to inform you that you are being transferred to an alternative location in connection with a federal case."

"Federal case? Let me see the transfer order." Her lawyer stated. He took a quick look through it, realising it was genuine and picked up his case, standing up from the table.

"Where do you think you're going?" She shrieked.

"I feel it isn't in my best interests to take this case." He responded. "Feel free to pursue other counsel. Have a nice day."

"Come back here you rat-faced little twerp!" She yelled as he left the room.

Two men in strange, almost military style overalls entered the room. One of them addressed her in a heavy Australian accent.

"I'm agent Scott Gacy; this is my Colleague agent Colin McDougall." He stated. "We've been charged with taking you to our facility in New Tech City."

"Well I better get access to a lawyer when I get there." She snarled.

Kimberly had been back at the base a few days by the time they heard anything. Maxine had lasted well under interrogation. It was only on the third day when Cruger insisted on interviewing Maxine himself that they made the breakthrough.

Maxine was sitting, as usual in the interview room. They hadn't had a lawyer sit in on any of her interviews, and she planned to use that to her advantage. She almost fell out of her chair as Cruger entered.

"I am Commander Anubis Cruger of Space Patrol Delta." He introduced himself. "You have my assurances that we will find out everything you know."

"What the hell are you?" She asked.

"I'm an alien." He answered truthfully. "I originally come from the planet of Sirius. Anyway, I'm the one who's asking the questions. What do you know of your father's business dealings?"

"I know just about everything." She replied, shifting in her seat. Cruger could detect that she was forming some kind of plan. "Of course I could tell you, but I'd expect a little something in return."

"You want a plea bargain." Cruger concluded. "We're interested in the sale of babies stolen by Dr. Black."

"Oh, I have all my father's records of that." She chuckled. "I believe three of the four remaining little tykes were sold in the New York area. I could tell you where the records are, but I'm wondering what you can do for me."

"Let's see if we can find some middle ground." Cruger responded with a smile. "You tell me what YOU want, and I'll come up with a counter offer."

"In exchange for the records, this little thing about the fight club and my father's death just disappear." She replied. "This is a federal agency that employs aliens? Surely you must have enough pull with the government to make all this just disappear without a trace."

"I suppose then you'd like to retire somewhere warm with no extradition treaty." Cruger stated.

"I hear the Cayman Islands are nice this time of year." She said confidently.

"Here's my counter offer." Cruger responded as Kat entered the room. She pulled a device from a metal case. "The device my colleague is holding can erase memories. Now, either you can tell us where the records are, in which case we'll erase your memory and send you back to serve your sentence for your own crimes. Or, we can not erase your memory, in which case since you've seen this facility and me, you'll be treated as a threat to national security in which case you'll be locked in solitary confinement with no access to the outside world of any kind for the remainder of your natural life."

Maxine's air of confidence suddenly disappeared.

"Well, it's your choice." Cruger stated. Maxine held her head in her hands, completely defeated. "There's a safety deposit box key in my personal effects." She told him. "It opens a box in the Ritz Carlton hotel. In there you'll find the records."

Cruger got up and left the room.

"Hey, what about our deal?" She shrieked.

"I'll fulfil my end of the bargain once I know you've fulfilled yours." He answered as he left.

A few hours later, the records had been retrieved and analysed. Unfortunately it was not the news they'd hoped for.

"Two of the babies were boys." Ethan told him with a sigh. "The other was a girl, but she was immunised before she was a year old."

"Then none of them are Kimberly's child." Cruger responded. David held Kimberly close as she began to cry. "I'm truly sorry Mrs. Goodman."

"There's one left." Kimberly sniffed as she wiped her face. "There's only one child left, and it's mine."

"Which means it was sold in California." Kat interjected. "Since we've eliminated all the other possibilities, the final child, Kimberly's child has to have been sold right here in California."

Ethan pulled up the archive file of Albert Knox interview all those years ago for his statement about the final contact.

"_He operated right here in California." He informed them. "His code name was The Stork. The pickup location was the Livewire nightclub a couple of blocks from LAX."_

Ethan checked up on the nightclub. "No one's owned it since 2008." He said sadly. "The last owner was a man named Michael Wallace."

Cruger turned sharply on his heel and returned to the room where Maxine was being held.

"Do you know anything about the contact named 'The Stork'?" Cruger asked him. Maxine laughed a little.

"A two bit loser from LA called Michael Wallace." She responded. "He tried to squeeze Dad for cash a couple of years ago. When it didn't work, my dad had him executed."

"Are you certain?" Cruger asked her.

"You don't get much deader." She remarked. "He had so much lead in him by the time my dad's boys were through with him, you could have turned him on his head and used him as a pencil."

Cruger brought out the memory erasing device, setting the timer and flashed Maxine. He left the room and stopped by the guard. "Get her out of my base. I never want to see or hear from her again."

Cruger got Ethan to verify Maxine's statement.

"She's telling the truth." Ethan told him. "Michael Wallace died of gunshot wounds. The dates of birth and medical records match. I really wish I could tell you better news."

"You tried your best. Kimberly whispered, no longer able to hide her crushing disappointment. "David, bring a bin. I've got some presents to get rid of."

**Three Years Later**

Alice Drew was busy entertaining the guests to her daughter's birthday party, waiting for the moment when her husband, Stephen would bring the cake. Her daughter, Syd was being entertained by her uncle's conjuring tricks as he distracted her long enough for her father to dim the lights. The guests began to sing.

"Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday dear Sydney,

Happy Birthday to you."

Syd blew out all thirteen of the little candles and excitedly grabbed the cake slice. All of a sudden, her hand and arm felt cold. As her mother turned on the light, Syd stared in horror as her hand did something it had never done before. Her hand and most of her arm had turned to silver.

"Mom, what's happening to me?" She shrieked in terror and confusion. "MOM!"


	18. End of the Journey

Kimberly knelt once more by the shrine of unopened presents that day. The disappointment in New York had been so emotionally devastating; it took a psychiatrist and an extensive routine of counselling and medication to bring her back to any point where she could gain hope and function on a day-to-day basis. On this day, her daughter's thirteenth birthday, she knelt by the dusty old shrine once more, laying down the latest addition, her thirteenth birthday present.

Kimberly swept away her tears. It had taken everything David had in him to stop her giving up completely when the New York connection fell through. She knew the man who sold the babies in California was dead, and with that, so was any link to those he dealt with. The only real hope was SPD

The existence of SPD and aliens had been public knowledge now for over two years, and so had the existence of the SPD Rangers. As a result, they could now help her on an official level, and had been following up every hearsay rumour, every breathed half-truth and all the less-ridiculous theories. So far they had all proven fruitless, and Kimberly had sunken further and further into despair. It was only her son, Joe, who kept her enough within contact of reality to feel anything anymore, and stopped her slipping into a depression-led comatose.

It was for that reason that she was the last person to expect the gift bestowed upon her on that day.

Kimberly's attention was wrenched, as though she were raised from the dead from her despair as the medical alarm sounded. She didn't know why, but for some reason she had a feeling this was different!

Sydney screamed like a banshee as she was wheeled to the medical bay of SPD headquarters. She had known, like the rest of her generation, of it's existence, but she never once imagined she'd be there. She glared once more at her arm which still appeared to be made of silver, weeping openly as she continued to scream her confusion.

"What's happening to me mom? I need to know! What's happening to me?" She kept screaming as she was taken to the medical bay.

A man a few years older than Kimberly approached an orderly. "Take me to Doggie Cruger!" He yelled. "Tell him it's Stephen and Alison Drew who want him, but please, let Doggie know we're here!" Kimberly barely recognised him. The Drews had left SPD when the effects of the radiation they were exposed to developing the morphers had been discovered.

Kimberly got up, turning towards the arrivals, and approaching them slowly. It had been so long since she'd seen them; she'd almost completely forgotten them.

"Stephen?" She asked weakly. She looked across to where his wife was being barred from the medical bay by an orderly. "Alice? What are you both doing here?"

"Something's happening with our daughter." Alice explained. "Something we couldn't explain, and a little beyond terrestrial medicine."

"You needed to bring her here?" Kimberly asked. "I thought you adopted?"

"We did." Stephen explained. "But she shows abilities beyond the normal range. We thought SPD was the best place to get her help."

"She has powers?" Kimberly asked.

"It appears so." Stephen told her. "We don't know why."

"Would Mr and Mrs Goodman and Mr and Mrs Drew please report to the Base Commander's office immediately?" The announcement came across the internal communications. They made their way into Cruger's office, where only he, Kat and Charisma were waiting.

"Sydney's blood work has brought up interesting results." Cruger told them. "We know that Sydney isn't yours Stephen, but how did you get her?"

"We adopted." He lied. "You knew we couldn't..."

"Stephen Drew, Alice Drew, are you guilty or innocent of buying a child?" Cruger screamed, holding out a judgement scanner. After a few seconds, it flashed a blue circle. "I knew you couldn't be involved in something like that voluntarily."

"Involved in what?" Alice screamed. Tears were already streaming down her face. "Please Doggie, we've known you for years, tell us what's going on!"

"Sydney's blood work alerted us to a flag on an active investigation flag." Kat explained. "In the archive file. Her DNA matches that of David and Kimberly. She is the last unaccounted for child of the Baby Theft Syndicate. She id Kimberly's daughter."

"How is that possible?" Stephen asked.

"I know!" His brother announced as he entered. "I lied to you!"

"Michael?" Stephen responded.

He breathed a few deep breaths before continuing. "I did it for you and Alice." He answered.

"Are you guilty or innocent of buying a child?" Doggie asked the judgement scanner. Michael put his hand across it to stop the process.

"I'm guilty." He announced.

"What are you saying?" Stephen asked. Michael broke down into tears and wept as he recalled the time.

"I know how desperate you were to start a family." Michael told him. "It killed me to see the way it hit you when you were told you were infertile."

Kat put away the judgement scanner as he explained. "I was there through all of it. I saw how hard it hit Alice every time she was rejected by an adoption agency." He sobbed a little, wiping his face as he spoke. "I was there the day she took her overdose! I made sure she survived, but I needed to give her a reason to live."

"What overdose?" Stephen asked. "Alice, what's he talking about?"

"When we were having our rough patch and separated." She wailed loudly. "I just felt so alone! I didn't feel like a woman. I felt so useless. One night, I wrote you a note, then I took some vodka and some painkillers."

Michael wiped his face clear. "I did everything in my power to give you a baby."

"You're not seriously telling me this!" Stephen implored him. "I admit we knew the adoption wasn't legit, but you told us you'd adopted her abroad! You told us you were granting us legal custody!"

I tried to get a baby for you in any way possible." He confessed. "Eventually someone was willing to offer me a baby for a price. I told him if the truth would never come out, I'd offer three times the going rate."

"You bought our daughter?" Kimberly asked

"My niece." He replied with tears in his eyes. Charisma approached him slowly.

"You have the right..."

"Please, it's my niece's birthday, and she's already terrified." He sighed. "Do you really think she has to see her uncle hauled away in handcuffs?"

Cruger held a hand across Charisma's chest. "Do you swear to turn yourself in when all this is sorted out?" He asked.

"I deserve it!" Michael told them. With that, he made his way to the hallway. He turned back. "This is the last time I'll see my niece, please let me do so out of handcuffs!"

"We will." Cruger promised the man, dismissing Charisma.

Michael made his way into the hallway, finding Sydney standing there eating an ice-cream

"Hey there Syd, remember how I told you magic was fickle?" He lied.

"Yes Uncle Michael." She answered.

"I'm going away on a long-term tour." He told her. "I'll not be back for a very long time!"

Once he was out of sight of Syd, Charisma cornered him and read him his rights.

Back in the office, Cruger took his seat at his desk. "Kimberly, the court order turning custody of Sydney over to you will arrive from the legal department shortly." He stated. He noticed Alice collapsing into her husband's arms at this news. "I'm sorry Alice, I know this has to be devastating, but she isn't your daughter."

"SHE IS!" She screamed. "I changed her diapers! I potty trained her! I was the one who stopped her crying the first time she was bullied at school!"

"We've looked after her all these years!" David implored him. "We're her parents in every way except giving birth to her. Please, it'd kill us to lose contact with her. We love her!"

Kimberly's heart had been so full of pain and anger that she had to resist the urge to start screaming at them, but as they tearfully protested to Cruger the decision, she started to feel something that she never thought she could for the people who'd kept her daughter from her for all those years. She felt sorry for them.

"Can I see Sydney?" Kimberly asked. "I swear I won't say anything yet, but I need to see how she's been looked after."

"She's never wanted for anything." Stephen snapped. "We couldn't have looked after her any better."

"If I'm happy that's the case, you'll be able to see Syd any time you want." Kimberly replied. "Now, I need to see her. I won't say anything yet, I swear."

Kimberly was shown into the medical bay by Kat, where Sydney had already figured out how to turn her arm back to normal. She had long, wavy blonde hair, but looking at her face, Kimberly saw that she looked amazingly like her. Noticing her bright blue eyes, her heart skipped a beat. She could have been looking into David's eyes at that moment.

"You've had a pretty exciting day kiddo." Kimberly commented as she entered the room. "Happy Birthday. I'm Kimberly."

"Sydney." She replied, shaking her hand. "I don't know what's going on with this. The doctor said I should have been able to do this from a few months old."

"There were other children that had powers similar to yours." Kimberly told her. "No one knows where the powers came from, but the others demonstrated their abilities from about six months of age."

"Well I've solved that mystery." Dana began. "It seems that you've had measles before."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Kimberly asked.

"Measles can sometimes affect the development of a child. Sometimes physically, sometimes it can impair mental functions." She continued with her explanation. "That's why children are generally immunised within a few weeks of birth. In Sydney's case, I think it delayed the onset of her powers."

"So what can I do?" Sydney asked. "Is there a cure?"

"It's not a disease." Dana told her. "It's a part of who you are, and it always will be. You are able to channel the chemical properties of any object you touch into your hand and arm."

"I'm a freak!" Sydney began sobbing. "Why did this happen to me? I just want to go home and be normal? Where's mom and dad? I need them!"

"They'll be along shortly." Kimberly told her as she tried to fight back her tears. "You really love them don't you?"

"Of course I do." She responded, looking at Kimberly as though she were insane. "I want to go back to my house. I want to go back to my friends, please send my mom and dad back."

"Like I said, they'll be along shortly." Kimberly replied, stroking her hair gently. "You're a beautiful young woman."

"Thanks." She sighed, looking at her hand. "But who's going to want me now? I'm a freak; all my friends saw what happened. I'll never be able to have a normal life."

"Normal lives are over rated." Kimberly told her, rubbing her back. "You're just...different. There's nothing wrong with that. Anyone worth caring about won't hold that against you."

"Thank you Kimberly." Sydney responded. "Can you take me to mom and dad?"

"I'll do better than that." Kimberly told her. "I'll bring them to you."

She returned to Cruger's office, no longer able to hold in her tears. She made her way over to Stephen and Alice. "She's an amazing young woman." She told them, touching them both gently. "You've done an amazing job raising her."

"We couldn't have loved her any more." Alice responded. "That's why we never told her she was adopted. To us it didn't matter."

"Well it matters to me." Kimberly told them. She hugged her husband for support. "She's always known you as her parents, and she's clearly happy with you."

"Honey, what are you saying?" David asked her.

"If you promise us that we'll be involved in her life, and that we can see her whenever we want, we won't enforce the court order." Kimberly explained. "We'll leave her with you."

"Are you sure?" David asked his wife. Kimberly looked deeply into his eyes.

"She's happy, and that's all I've ever hoped for." Kimberly explained. "Tearing her away from the life she's lived and the parents she's known for 13 years would only upset her needlessly. She'd only end up resenting us."

"She'll need to know one day." Stephen put down.

"Do you really think she'd be able to understand?" David asked him.

"I can vouch for it on my part that this information will never leave this office." Cruger announced. "The decision is yours."

David looked at Kimberly and realised she was sincere. He breathed a sigh. "We want to be a part of her life."

"I swear that you will be." Stephen answered him, extending a hand. "We're just over the moon that we can still be with our...I mean your..."

"She's your daughter as much as she is ours." Kimberly interrupted him. "Now, let's go and see her."

Sydney was sitting up on her bed, looking through some leaflets. Stephen took one from her.

"Your career begins with SPD?" He asked her, reading the title aloud. "You want to work here?"

"The doctors have been really nice to me." She told him. "Dana's been telling me all about working here, and it sounds really cool."

"Well you've accomplished everything you've ever set your mind to." Alice chuckled. "If you want to work here, you will."

"I have to be 16 to apply for the academy." She moaned.

"That just gives you three years to get ready." David remarked. Sydney smiled at him.

"Sydney, these are our friends David and Kimberly." Stephen introduced them.

"Are they coming back to LA with us?" She asked.

"No, we're moving to New Tech." Her father told her. "Something tells me we'll all be really happy here."

Fin.

A/N: If anyone wants to know how Syd reacts when the secret comes out, it's in my SPD fic, Happy Birthday Syd. Hope you enjoyed the story.


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